A Goblin Story
by RazzMcazz
Summary: Four people, one story, with thrilling sword fights, races with dragons, a lost princess, and of course...goblins!
1. Chapter 1

Prologue

Part One.

Jareth watched as the royalty of the Fae world danced before him as he hung back unnoticed to the crowd. He was not dressed to impressed tonight, his riding pants still dirty from the ride in and his jacket black against the golds and pastels all around him. It had been nearly a year since Sarah had left him for the second time in his life, and he wasn't taking it good to say the least.

Yes, the Labyrinth had been in trouble, and yes, he had called on his cruel beloved to come and save it. But he hadn't planned on falling even more in love with her than he already was...hadn't planned on actually taking her for his own and...

"Ladies and gentleman!" King Colbert, the king of the Faeries said from the throne platform, a golden crib in between the king and queens seats. Jareth shook his mind away from the bewitching woman he longed for and payed somewhat attention to what was about to happen. After all, his father did say that this might get his mind off Sarah...at least for a little while.

"Ladies and gentleman..." the king said once more, his copper beard smiling at his guests while Queen Tabitha sat next to the crib, her eyes solely focused on the one thing she treasured most now.

"Thank you for coming this evening to bless our new addition to our kingdom" King Colbert said "And thank you for all your wonderful gifts. My queen and I cannot even begin to tell you how grateful we are this evening. All of you know how hard a Fae birth is on a female, and even though we were given a beautiful baby girl, we are blessed none the less."

"Here here!" a guest shouted from the back as the crowd cheered. Jareth watched and for a moment his chest pinched in pain, knowing he would never have a heir of his own like the good King Colbert was now blessed with. His Sarah was back in her world now...

"Let us see the babe!" a regal lady said.

King Colbert looked to his queen as she nodded with a smile, her delicate arms picking up the babe that cooed in her arms. The crowd seemed to pull in, wanting a look at the baby while Jareth remained still, knowing seeing the child would only bring him more pain. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea, maybe he should just go back to his own castle with his goblins and be rid of this merriment.

But suddenly, it seemed a dark cloud pressed over the magnificent golden ballroom of the castle as the candle lights blew out with a chilled wind sweeping in from nowhere. Jareth was on alert immediately, knowing dark magic was around them as other guests panicked around him.

Then, like a drop of water, a dark figure dipped down from the ceiling and onto the marbled floor, the hood drooping over the face while a dark smile showed underneath.

"So sad you couldn't invite me dear Colbert" the figure said smoothly as it lifted it's head, the hood dropping down to reveal a beautiful but dark woman, her piercing eyes laying solely on the king and queen while her black lipstick smile spread out menacingly.

"Morrigan" King Colbert said with a sneer "You are not welcome here witch!"

"Oh really?" Morrigan said as the ground beneath her seemed to rot "I know you wouldn't dare enrage the greatest sorceress of all time now would you?"

"The birth of our daughter is no concern of yours" Tabitha said cradling the child closer to her chest.

"Perhaps you may be right" Morrigan said revealing a large staff beneath her cloak, a purple gem glowing bright at the tip "But your insolence was noticed a great deal. You may be queen and king of the Faeries, but I am the Phantom Queen. And your daughter has something I want."

Before King Colbert could speak again Morrigan had slammed her staff down on the ground, the earth beneath her turning everything to horrible stone as it cascaded forward, freezing guests in their place as it slithered towards the king and queen. Jareth moved to stop it, but found his feet and legs had already succumb to the spell as his body froze in place, watching the horror before him as the king and queen were frozen in stone while Morrigan approached them.

The baby remained unharmed as it wriggled with shrieking cries in her mother's cold arms.

"Now now little one" Morrigan soothed the baby as she picked it up "No need to cry. You and I will have plenty time together, just you see." She turned then to the king and queen with a smirking grin "Say goodbye to your daughter. I'm afraid this will be the last time you'll ever see one another again."

And with that, the witch turned with a growing laugh, each chuckle becoming more manically then the next as the ceiling above crashed in to reveal a black stoned dragon with horrible glowing red eyes. The dragon huffed a plume of smoke from it's nostrils as it descended down to let Morrigan and the baby on.

"Lovely party by the way!" Morrigan shrieked as the dragon took off "I had a great time!"

As soon as the witch was in the air the stone spell that surrounded the guests and royal couple lifted, the guests toppling over as the guards rushed outside to try and watch where Morrigan and her dragon had took off.

"Follow her!" King Colbert said racing out the castle doors, his horse spiraling towards him as he took off into the night with the guards following close behind him. Jareth watched with wide eyes, knowing they wouldn't be able to catch Morrigan. She was the shadow in the dark that moved wherever she pleased with magic more ancient then even Jareth's father Oberon.

But none the less, he followed out the doors, his own black horse riding up as he raced after the king, knowing even the odds were not in their favor, there might still be a chance. He caught up to the king, who was racing frantically, his eyes focused on the skies. Morrigan's black dragon could be barely seen as it moved over the clouds and towards the mountains that laid in between Jareth's kingdom and all the others.

Suddenly, the land trailed off, a massive cliff blocking the group from traveling further. King Colbert raced off his horse and towards the cliff's edge, but Jareth caught the king just in time, his grief blinding him from the massive drop below him.

"My daughter" the king said softly, watching the dragon fly away with his baby.

Jareth watched the dragon disappear over the mountains, knowing that the couldn't go farther than his kingdom.

"King Colbert" Jareth said looking over at the man but the king's eyes seemed almost empty as he stared on.

"Colbert!" Jareth said when finally the king of the Faeries turned to him "She's gone. But she hasn't gone to where we can't reach her. Morrigan could not fly that creature past my land without my own creatures going after it. Even she wouldn't be so ignorant."

"But how will we ever find her?" King Colbert said "Morrigan's magic is too strong, she could hide my daughter forever if she wanted to."

"Then we will send out a sign for your daughter every year" Jareth said looking on to the skyline of the mountains that would lead him to his own kingdom.

"And I promise" he said "I will find her."


	2. Chapter 2

Prologue  
Part Two.

"Tell me a story Mommy" the blonde boy said tucked in the bed, his mismatched eyes staring at Sarah which made her heart almost hurt from the memories those eyes held for her.

"Which one would you like to hear?" Sarah said sitting beside her son, her arms wrapping around her bathrobe as Liam wiggled in his race car footie pajamas.

"The Where I Came From story!" Liam said as his excited smile burst across his face, the story being one of his favorites.

"You know we only tell that story on bad days" Sarah said stroking her son's wild blonde hair as he gave her the most pitiful stare.

"But I like hearing it on good days too" he said giving her a pleading look. Sarah smiled, knowing she couldn't resist that look no matter how much Liam played into it. She knew this story would some day run its coarse, but for now, pleasing the five year old that was staring at her was the best Sarah could do in explaining why Liam didn't have a father like the other boys and girls at his preschool.

"All right" Sarah said sighing.

"YAY!" Liam said bouncing in the bed.

"But you better go right to sleep after okay?" Sarah said as her finger tickled on her son's stomach.

"I promise!" Liam said suddenly, his face growing serious as he scooted farther down in the covers.

"Okay"she said when he finally settled "Where you came from."

"Where I came from" he repeated back.

"Once upon a time" Sarah said "There was a labyrinth that surrounded a goblin city, and in that goblin city was a castle, and in that castle-"

"Was the Goblin King!" Liam interrupted.

"The Goblin King" Sarah said trying not to let the words slip out painfully "And the Goblin King granted wishes. One night, when Uncle Toby was a baby, Mommy wished Uncle Toby away, and the Goblin King took him."

"And you went after Uncle Toby!" Liam said remembering the story well.

"Yes I did" Sarah said giving a soft smile "And Mommy saw all kinds of creatures and fought many battles."

"And you rescued Uncle Toby!" Liam said.

"But then Mommy had to go back" Sarah said "Even though I had won the Goblin King's game. Because the Labyrinth got sick, and Mommy was the only one who could fix it."

"And you made it all better!" Liam said happily "You gave it chicken noodle soup, just like you do with me when I'm sick."

"Pretty much" Sarah said laughing "And because I had won the Goblin King's game, and also because I fixed the Labyrinth, the Goblin King gave me one wish. And do you know what I wished for?"

"Me!" Liam said loudly.

"That's right" Sarah said with a big smile "I wished for a little boy with blonde hair."

"But you couldn't make up your mind about what colors you wanted for my eyes!" Liam said repeating the story "So that's why I have one eye blue and the other eye green!"

"Exactly" Sarah said "And that's the story of where you came from."

"But Mommy?" Liam said as his eyes looked away almost in hard concentration "Does that mean I really don't have a daddy?"

"Well, no" Sarah said "You do have a daddy."

"So who is it then?" Liam said with innocent eyes that merely wanted a simple answer.

Sarah didn't want to tell her son, but knew it had to be said at some point, and if there was anytime to tell the truth, it was now.

"The Goblin King is your daddy Liam" Sarah said as the truth slipped out like water waiting to be released.

Liam took this information in for a moment before he looked at his mother again "Then why doesn't he come see me?"

"Because baby" Sarah said kissing him on the forehead and tucking him into the covers "He can't come to this world, he has to stay in his own. But I know, if he were here, he would love you as much as I do."

Liam sat quietly for a moment before looking at his mother who stood in the doorway of his bedroom.

"I love you mommy" he said softly "Thank you for telling me a story."

"Your welcome sweetheart" Sarah said knowing it wasn't a story at all "Goodnight."

"Goodnight" he said.


	3. Chapter 3

Leap Before Looking

"HEY STOP! SECURITY! THIEF!" a sales associate shrieked as she scrambled out of the store. Liam smirked to himself as he darted in between people, his feet moving quickly through the people as his hand stuffed the stolen good into his pants while the other slammed a baseball cap over his short blonde hair that stuck out in wild tufts.

He could hear security blowing into their walkie talkies, but Liam knew he was too fast for them. His body swerved and ducked as he saw mall security coming towards him, his legs almost flying through the next store, his whole body flying over racks and sliding over jewelry desks.

_"These guys are fast"_ Liam thought with a smirk before ducking under a changing closet while security rushed out of the exit of the store. Slowly he peeked over the edge before unlocking the door and walking calmly out of the store while the register girls still tried to figure out what had just happened.

"Armatures" Liam said laughing as he walked back into the crowd that moved like fish in a current. He walked steadily towards the exit, his eyes focused on the escalator that would take him down to the doors that led outside.

"HEY THERE HE IS!" a security guard shouted as he raced towards Liam.

"Oh shit" Liam said in a breath as his feet picked up instantly. He knew he wasn't going to make it to the escalators in time, and with a quick look at what he had, he got on top of the edge of the railing that looked over to the bottom part of the mall.

"Alright son" the security guard said moving slowly towards Liam who stood on the edge with a smile "Time to come down now. There's nowhere to go."

"Well" Liam said "I wouldn't say that."

Suddenly he fell over the side, his hands grabbing at the decorations that hung above from the ceiling, his weight taking it down with ease as it acted almost like a rope for Liam to trail down. He swung suddenly as Liam concentrated hard on where he was going to land. It was always easy for Liam with heights, always landing on his feet, always moving the air to his will. His eyes closed as his hands let go of the make-shift rope, his body flinging through the air as he sailed down to the ground.

But like magic, Liam landed on his feet running, his laugh sounding out as he raced out the door and disappeared out the parking lot.

This was the easy part now, his body knowing which turns to take, always staying out of sight as he raced back home, knowing he was home free the minute he made it within a mile of his house. His feet slowed down, his body knowing he was out of danger as he grabbed the stolen merchandise out from his pants and made sure it wasn't damaged at all.

It wasn't like he liked stealing, or that he couldn't get a job. Liam had tried his best at jobs, at anything really, just so that he could make enough for him and his mom to get by. It hadn't been easy for either of them, with his mom getting married to that asshole Tim, then the divorce where he basically took everything from them because his secretary had big tits and a gold diggers mind. That's why Liam and his mother had moved back to her home town, his grandparents leaving the house to his mother and Uncle Toby.

Thankfully though, Uncle Toby was in Chicago working in the studio for his next EP and told Liam's mother that she could have the house and he would stop by soon to visit.

But this, Liam thought as he looked at the expensive scarf in his hands, was perfect for his mother. It had been worth the risk to steal, as long as she didn't find out. Liam hadn't always been the perfect child, and his mother knew that. He could remember her telling him he acted just like a little goblin, which for some reason made Liam behave. But he loved his mother, and he would do anything for her. Despite everything he put her through, she still supported him and defended him even when he didn't deserve it. She was a good mother, and Liam was trying his best to be a good son. There was just something inside of him, something that stirred and beat against his skin that made him want to do things he knew he shouldn't do. And lately since he just turned twenty-one, he had been even more restless than ever before.

Suddenly, Liam's house came into view, the shutters still dark since they had just moved in two weeks ago and had barely even unpacked yet. His mother was trying to cope with the stress from moving and trying to still keep up with her job. If there was one thing Liam's mother possessed, it was a magnificent voice. She sang and acted in all sorts of plays and had just landed her first movie part.

And here Liam was, still trying to get his life together. He had taken a few college classes, but had gotten in too much trouble at school, and every job he took there always seemed to be trouble around the corner no matter where he turned.

He was supposed to go to a interview next week at a local bar to be a bus boy and hopefully this time no big neanderthal would try and challenge him. Liam could still feel the pain in his fingers from when he had knocked that asshole out when he had come at Liam. All Liam had said to the dumbass was to leave the girl at the bar alone. Although his choice of words could probably have been better picked.

"No fighting" Liam said to himself "No smart ass comments, no nothing. You need to make this work, if not for you, then at least for Mom."

Liam walked up the porch steps to the house and opened up the door, hearing the low hum of music as a single light showed out from the living room. He closed the door and walked in to find his mother sitting on a blanket with Chinese set out for two people.

"And where have you been?" his mother said as her green eyes stared up at Liam with a slight hint of joy.

"I got you a present" Liam said with a proud grin.

"For what?" Sarah said watching her son come over and sit beside him. He pulled the baseball cap off revealing the crazy tufts of blonde hair as his mismatched eyes looked over at her. He was looking more and more like Jareth every day, his ears now beginning to narrow at the tips.

"Do I need a reason?" Liam said smirking as he handed over the gift. Sarah took it and sighed sadly.

"Liam, where did you get this?" Sarah said holding it out to him.

"The mall" Liam said shrugging.

"And with what money?" Sarah said getting angry "Liam I can't have you stealing anymore!"

Liam looked over at his mother, feeling guilty and angry at the same time "I just hate seeing you live like this, after that asshole basically just-"

"I know what Tim did" Sarah said holding up a hand "And yes, it is sad that we barely have clothes to put on our backs. But I was taking care of you alone before I ever even met Tim. I've survived once on my own, I can do it again."

"I'm sorry" Liam said as his head went down.

Sarah sighed and felt the scarf in her hands "It's a lovely thought honey, but you know I can't accept this."

"I'll return it tomorrow" Liam said "I'm sorry I upset you."

"It's alright" Sarah said sighing "Now let's sit down and eat our food."

Liam sat and ate in silence, his head trying to think of someway to make this situation better for them. But everything he came up with, he knew his mother wouldn't like.

Sarah finished her food and slowly yawned "I think I'm going to hit the sack kid, are you going to stay up?"

"I'll clean this up and pull out the air mattress" Liam said "Where are you going to sleep?"

"I guess I'll sleep in my old room" Sarah said with a small grin "It still feels weird sleeping in my parents bed, and they never got rid of my things."

"Alright, I'll crash in Uncle Toby's old room" Liam said picking up the Chinese boxes and heading towards the kitchen "Night Mom."

"Night sweety" she said starting for the stairs before stopping "Liam?" she said.

He popped his head out from the other room, his face reminding her of the one person she wished she could forget.

"Yea Mom?" Liam said with his eyes confused.

"You are still the best thing that ever happened to me" Sarah said with a sad smile.

"Thanks Mom" Liam said with a thankful grin "Goodnight."

"Night" Sarah said as she went up the stairs. It was odd being back here, the memories flooding her mind as she remembered having Liam here when he was still just a baby. She could remember how angry her parents had been when she had told them she was with child, their outcries mainly consisting of how she was too young, her twentieth birthday just days away. She had been too young, but she had dedicated her life to her child unlike most young parents. And she was honest with herself that she had only married Tim so that Liam could have some kind of father figure in his life. She hadn't loved Tim, which was probably the reason he had turned to another, and she could forgive that.

Sarah found herself at her old bedroom door, the memories flooding in like a dam breaking loose on a river. She remembered this room, the dolls and trinkets being her only comfort, and then the Labyrinth happened and the Goblin King had come flying into her life. And even after she escaped him, even after all that had happened, she had gone back to him, not to save Toby, but to save the world she loved dearly and all that lived within it.

And then, she had come back. And nothing ever felt right ever again. Nothing, until the moment she found out that she was pregnant and Liam had come into her life.

Sarah opened the door, the darkness of the room flooding in as she slowly walked in. It had been years since she had opened this door. But her step-mother had kept it spotless, almost not moving a thing since the day she left. Maybe it was Toby's outbursts that kept her coming in here and leaving everything as is, or maybe it was just her step-mothers way to say that she missed Sarah living with them.

Suddenly she saw the mirror that stood in the corner of her bedroom, the same mirror that her loved ones had come through to visit her from the Underworld. It was covered up now, the day she had come back from the Labyrinth being the worst as she covered in a fit of pain and hurt. She hadn't heard from any of the creatures, not Ludo, no Sir Didymus, not even Hoggle. It almost felt like an addict quitting a drug cold turkey, and for a few months she felt totally lost.

She found herself in front of the mirror now, her hand hovering over the cloth that shielded the glass between her and it.

"It's just a mirror" Sarah said to herself "They've probably all gone and forgotten about you anyhow."

Slowly she took the cloth off from the mirror, and instead of being greeted be creatures from another world, she only saw herself staring back into the glass. She looked so old right now, her youth drained from her as her face no longer glowed like it once did. She remembered staring into this mirror, her hair long and as straight as it was now, only her eyes weren't as jaded.

"I guess it's only right to admit that I miss you" Sarah said softly "But I'll be damned if I ever say those words to you again. Now, everything is just a story I used to tell Liam at night. Nothing more than a story."

And with that, Sarah dropped the cloth and walked away from the mirror, her body crawling into bed as it desperately wanted to forget the past...and him.


	4. Chapter 4

Reflections

Jareth heard the commotion from downstairs but didn't pay attention as his focus was on the new moon that showed like a silver plate in the dark pool of the glittering sky. He had been thinking about her a lot lately, his Sarah. Years had passed, days had come and nights had flown by, and still he dreamed of her every night. His kingdom had been saved by the girl from Above and now it longed for her just as he did. Except, now his Sarah had moved on.

He couldn't help it, he had made the trip to the Above to see her, if only for a moment. He remembered it had been snowing when he arrived, and slowly he had walked towards the house to look in to see his beloved. And there she had been, huddled around a fire with a small boy, and a man who was not Jareth was sitting in a chair above them. A happy family scene, and the image still burned painfully in his mind. It should have been him holding her in the night, watching over her and loving her as a man should love a woman.

But he had made his choice long before he had decided to look into his Sarah. She didn't belong in this world, no matter how much it wanted her to stay, no matter how much he wanted her to stay. And he had to let her go.

Jareth turned and looked around his throne room, the darkness spilling in like the shadows that crept around his heart. He walked to the center, his thoughts still on Sarah as he swore he heard her voice coming from the hall, calling out his name like she had so long ago. Jareth slowly turned his head towards the hall entrance, remembering how she had come in, her hair flowing like water behind her as she had run into his arms. He had taken her with ease, her fragrance drifting over him like a warm bath, his eyes closing to imprint on the moment, the moment when she had come to him without a thought. He had become her sanctuary in that moment, and for once he hadn't felt like the villain in this story.

And in a moment, it was gone, and Sarah had disappeared from his arms.

He sighed, knowing it was useless to dwell on such memories.

"Boss!" a goblin said scurrying into the throne room "Boss king!"

Jareth immediately rolled his eyes and turned with annoyance, knowing he shouldn't be thinking of Sarah but hating the imp for intruding on his solice.

"Yes Jip?" Jareth said with a hint of annoyance.

"Boss king!" the goblin said out of breath "Lady opened mirror! Boss lady, king! Hoggbreath saw!"

"What?" Jareth said as his snake eyes widened "Bring Hoggle to me!"

The goblin dashed off out of the throne room, his feet echoing down the hall as Jareth stood still while his mind tried to cope with what the imp had just said.

Sarah had opened the portal after almost twenty-one years. But why?

Hoggle came in just then, his eyes wide and nervous before the king even though he had been living in the castle with Jareth for nearly ten years now.

"Is it true?" Jareth said turning towards him.

"Yes my king" Hoggle said "I saw her reflection in the mirror downstairs. I just don't understand why now after so long she decided to take the cover off."

"My thoughts exactly" Jareth said as his finger went to his lips in concentration "What did you see?"

"Her my lord" Hoggle said shrugging "She was asleep in her bed, just like she did when she was younger."

Jareth looked to the edge of the throne room, seeing his own covered mirror before him, thinking maybe if he just peeked into it...maybe if he just...

"You aren't thinking about seeing her are you?" Hoggle said watching the thoughts roll over Jareth's face "Because you know she's probably still sore after what you did to her."

"Which event are you talking about?" Jareth said almost amused "The part where I put her through the Labyrinth?"

"You know damn well what I'm talking about" Hoggle said shaking his head "Don't try to act like you were doing the right thing."

"It was the right thing Hoggstink" Jareth said waving him off "You just didn't understand at the time."

"Oh I understand" Hoggle said "It's you who didn't understand what she wanted."

"She has a life now" Jareth said "She had a child and a husband. What right did I have to take her away from that."

"She would have had a good life here" Hoggle said to himself.

Jareth ignored Hoggle as he moved towards the mirror "I'll just take a look. Just to see..."

"Well your look better not last more than a minute" Hoggle said walking away "Remember, it's her that has to come through the portal. Magic don't work if you take her away."

"Yes yes, fine" Jareth said shooing him away.

"Oh yes, ask for my advice why don't ya" Hoggle said grumbling to himself as he walked away down the hall "Not like I know what I'm talkin about, I only been goin through to see the girl for years..."

Jareth looked at the mirror as his gloved hand lingered over the cloth, thinking of the pros and cons of this action and what it would bring should he choose to act upon impulse. But his hand grabbed it anyway, throwing the rag to the side and revealing the huge mirror that stood in the throne room. He saw his reflection, his face almost unchanged even after almost 20 years since he had last seen the girl. In Fae time, Jareth was still in his prime youth, even after ruling for almost 300 years.

But the reflection soon started to shimmer and change until finally Jareth no longer gazed upon himself, but at his sleeping beloved in her childhood bed. He saw her curved figure breathing slowly underneath the covers, and for the first time in a long time, he felt a stirring growing in his skin. He remembered how lovely she had felt in his arms, how much he had craved her presence. And now he stood looking at her, wanting to simply reach out and feel that soft long hair that he had loved to bury himself in.

Sarah sighed and turned, her face now towards Jareth as he realized how many years it had really been for Sarah. She still looked lovely, even if all her youth had vanished and now a weathered woman lay before him. She was after all human, and time did not stand still for her.

"How the years have passed my love" he said softly as his fingers brushed against the glass, wanting to brush instead against her lips "How much we've both grown."

He had to do something for her, this mere glimpse being not enough for the Goblin King. He smiled wickedly to himself, knowing Hoggle was going to roast him for what he was about to do. But he was king, and his magic was his own.

Slowly he waved his hand over the glass, a gold shimmer covering it fully.

"Let me give back the time that was stolen from us" Jareth said softly "So that maybe, just maybe..."

He dare not say the words, but merely prayed for them to be heard as the magic soaked through the glass and slithered towards the sleeping Sarah. He watched it blanket her, and a small sigh of relief escaped her lips as it soaked into her body, warming her up before him. Slowly, the glow in her cheeks returned, the wrinkles vanished as the dark circles under her eyes lightened, her hair became luxurious and shiny as it once had been.

"There" Jareth said softly. Now, his Sarah looked as she had the night he had done the unthinkable. Her beauty restored, her youth given back so that she now looked as if she were just twenty herself. And then, with a heavy heart, Jareth took the rag from the floor and lifted it up high above the mirror, so that his love was gone from him yet again.

Slowly he walked out to the balcony of the throne room, his eyes looking back up to the moon as it had done previously, only this time, a small smile had escaped his lips. Sarah would notice the change in her body, know that something had been done to her.

And maybe...just maybe...she would return to the Labyrinth.


	5. Chapter 5

The World Above

The cracks of the tree beneath her feet sounded out among the forest as Ashling climbed up the tree steadily, her hands finding the branches like they had done since the day she had learned to first climb. Her light brown hair whipped around her face as her blue eyes looked up with excitement, knowing the sun was just above the tree tops waiting for her. It was almost her birthday, and she would be damned if Morrigan would not allow her this one treasure she longed for most. The sorceress was out for the day anyway, that horrible black dragon taking her far away from the woods that Ashling had always known since she was a child.

Slowly, she pushed the leaves away, the sunlight pouring in to the dark forest floor as she scrambled to get to the top, her legs kicking out the branches that almost seemed to grasp at her dress as she ascended. Ashling stuck out her head above the tree tops, and while the sun almost seemed to blind her, it was warm and bright and everything she had ever hoped for.

Carefully she lifted the rest of her body up from the tree line, her hands finding a high branch to sit on as she gazed across the dark forest that didn't seem so dark now that she was above the tree tops. This is where she belonged, and for once she felt right in her own skin.

Ashling smoothed out the tan dress that she had received this morning from Morrigan, the witch reminding her that in five days she was not allowed to go outside, no matter what. That was why she was out now, her body needing all the outdoors she could get before Morrigan stuffed her away in that cold stone castle that lay hidden beneath the forest. It was terrible, this time of year. Morrigan usually kept a very close eye on Ashling, but when it came close to her birthday, Morrigan almost seemed to be watching Ashling's every move.

"Some birthday" she sighed knowing it was useless to try and fight it. She couldn't run away, the spell on the forest prevented her from ever leaving. Even when she had tried to ask the sorceress why she couldn't leave, Morrigan simply laughed and said "The only way you are getting out of her love is with the help of a prince."

"Yea right" Ashling said with a huff "A prince wouldn't last five seconds in this place."

It was true. The dark forest was teeming with creatures Morrigan had created or that were just terrifying in general. There was a reason nobody came to this side of the forest, dark beasts roamed at night, and the ones that roamed during the day were even more horrifying. At least in the dark you couldn't see how many teeth they had or how the look in their eyes made you want to shiver in the summer.

But thankfully, none of the beasts bothered Ashling. As a child, she had been terrified of them, hearing their howls and snarls and roars at night, but after a few years when she had begun wandering the forest, she had found the creatures to just be lonely, although that didn't stop them from snacking on would be travelers that had somehow ended up in the forest. Even now, a Ballister waited below the tree Ashling was on, watching her carefully to be sure she didn't slip.

Ashling looked away from the bottom of the tree and gazed up top, watching the different forms of birds fly high over her as the white puffy clouds made their way across the blue sky.

Suddenly she heard a bird chirping in the nest that sat snuggly in the tree beside Ashling. She noticed a baby bird watching the others fly away. Ashling smiled and carefully made her way over to the next, her eyes gentle as the bird looked at her with alarm.

"Don't be frightened" Ashling said sweetly as the bird calmed at her voice

The bird looked at her and then back at the sky. Ashling gently picked it up and moved back to her own tree with the bird. It snuggled against her for a moment before chirping to the other birds.

"Today is a wonderful day to fly don't you think?" she said to the bird "I mean, if I could pick a day to fly, this would definitely be the day."

The bird turned it's head to her and chirped with approval.

"Don't be scared" Ashling said holding him up to the sky "The world is full of adventures. You just have to go and see them."

Suddenly the little bird ruffled it's feathers and Ashling let it hover over her hands for a moment.

"See?" Ashling said with a smile. The bird chirped it's thanks as it flew off with the others.

Ashling watched the birds fly off, and for a moment she wished she had wings as well. She loved her forest, and the horrible creatures that lived in it, but just for once she wished she could go beyond the forest walls to see what the world had in store.

She followed the birds that whipped and fluttered in the sky, until they disappeared over the tree line where the tip of a castle could be seen. She had once asked Morrigan who the castle belonged to, and Morrigan had said that an evil king, the Goblin King, lived in that castle, and he ate the hearts of young girls and stole babies from their cribs. It had scared Ashling to death, so she never tried to find the castle just in case the Goblin King had been hungry that day. Instead, she merely gazed at what she could see, and dreamed of another castle without a monster inside of it.

She decided that it was time to come down, knowing that Morrigan would notice the glow of the sun on her skin if she stayed out in it for too long. Quietly she roamed down, the Ballister with it's striped coat and purple horns watching her with a soft growl as she walked towards it. For a moment though she stopped and looked back up to where the shoot of light from the sun descended down into the dark forest and thought that there was so much more than just living in the shadows.

" Just watch" she said to herself "One day I'll get out of here...one day."


	6. Chapter 6

Into the Past

Sarah awoke the next morning and felt rejuvenated for the first time in a long time. Slowly she yawned and got up out of bed, her arms stretching wide above her as she leaned over the bed. She could hear Liam cooking breakfast downstairs and chuckled to herself knowing that cooking wasn't his specialty but he was trying anyway. She knew he was trying to make it better from what he had done last night and for everything that had happened over the past month. He was a good son, no matter what other people thought about him. She had heard Liam get called every name in the book no matter if it was a school issue or parents in the neighborhood not wanting her "freak" of a child playing with their kids. No matter if he did something bad, he always tried to right his wrongs. It was probably a good thing he was raised by a human instead of the Fae, which would have probably rejoiced in all his antics.

Sarah threw on her robe and walked downstairs, the smell of bacon burning filling up the air of the hallway as she walked into the kitchen where Liam was frantically trying to stop the burning smoke that was flowing out from the pan. He was wearing a blue shirt with the sleeves rolled up against his forearms and his pants were the ones with a knee blown out on one side. She had promised to patch up the hole, but Liam had avoided her attempts every time.

Sarah laughed to herself and Liam looked over to her, his gaze annoyed and then suddenly in awe as he looked at her, the bacon burning now without hesitation.

"Mom?" Liam said with eyes as big as moons.

"Yea?" Sarah said looking at him confused.

"What happened to you?" Liam said still staring at her "You look like you could be my sister."

Sarah seemed taken aback for a moment "What are you talking about? I just woke up."

"Go look in a mirror then" Liam said watching his mother turn from him in confusion and head into the bathroom.

What was Liam talking about? Sarah flicked on the lights in the bathroom and took a look at herself in annoyance, thinking Liam was just playing a trick on her.

The scream that escaped her mouth even frightened her as she looked into the mirror with horrified eyes.

"Mom!?" Liam yelled from the kitchen as he moved fast down the hallway and into the bathroom.

Sarah still stared at herself, her face looking as if she were just out of her twenties, the years vanished from her face like magic.

"Like magic..." she whispered when she suddenly realized what could have happened.

"Mom?" Liam said from the doorway as he watched his mother sink down against the wall of the bathroom "Mom what the hell is going on?"

"It can't be" Sarah said shaking her head "It just can't be."

"What can't be?" Liam said, he had never seeing his mother like this.

Suddenly a knock at the door sounded out through the house and Liam hesitated to get it.

"Go on" Sarah said shaking her head "I'll be okay."

Liam left her and went for the door, his mind still wondering how his mother had managed to look twenty years younger over night when the door opened to reveal the one person he hated the most in this world.

"What the hell are you doing here Tim?" Liam said sneering at his step-father.

Tim looked at Liam with annoyance, the same looked he had always gotten even as a child "I need to speak with your mother."

"She's busy at the moment" Liam said "What can I help you with?"

"Move out of the way boy" Tim said getting closer "Or I'll smack you into next Tuesday."

"That may have worked when I was ten asshole" Liam said getting in Tim's face "But not here and not now. "

"Last time I'm saying it you little shit" Tim said, his lip curling up "Move out of the way."

"Tim!" Sarah said from behind her son "Move away from my son."

Liam watched his mother stand in front of him, his whole body wanting nothing more than to protect her from the asshole who had taken the roof from over their heads.

"Go Liam" Sarah said not turning her head "I can handle this."

Liam didn't want to, but knew his mother needed her space "I'll be in the kitchen" he said roughly, his eyes never leaving Tim as he walked away.

Sarah waited until Liam had walked away to look over at the husband she had never loved.

"What do you want Tim?" Sarah said evenly.

"You still owe me money" Tim said brushing back his dark hair.

"I owe you nothing" Sarah said "You got everything I had to give during the divorce."

"There's still bills that need to be paid" Tim said ignoring her.

"You had the funds to buy your wife a new set of tits" Sarah said with a smirk "I'm sure you can afford the water bill. After all I did even when you were out of work."

"You are missing the point Sarah" Tim said "You still owe me, and I'm going to keep coming by here until I get my money."

"You can go to hell" Sarah said "And if you do come again the police will be waiting at the door, not me!"

Sarah slammed the door on him, enraged at him for even coming to ask for anything from her. She had given him all, and he had taken it greedily until he wanted the one thing she could never give him. That belonged to someone else, someone that she couldn't get to even if she tried.

"You can't run away forever Sarah" Tim said slamming at the door "I'll get what I want, even if it means breaking down this door."

"Go back to your whore Tim!" Sarah yelled "And leave us the hell alone!"

She could hear him grumbling from the other side of the door, but after a bit he left. Liam stood in the doorway of the kitchen, his body shaking in anger as he watched his mother drop from exhaustion.

"You should have let me handle it" Liam said "I could have taken on that bastard."

"And us ending up taking him to the hospital like last time?" Sarah said looking up at her son with a hint of annoyance. He was too like his father, that was for sure. Always headstrong, always needing control of the situation.

"I just hate the way he talks to you" Liam said shaking his head "I don't understand why you ever married him."

"Because" Sarah said with a sigh "You needed a father."

"Well I could have done better without him" Liam said "Why didn't you ever just ask my real dad?"

"Because you can't ask him" Sarah said shaking her head. Liam watched the pain drift over his mother's face and felt guilty for making her think of him.

"Who is my real father Mom?" Liam said "He can't be any worse than Tim."

"If I told you" Sarah said with a sad smile "You'd never believe me. Now let's just eat breakfast."

Liam left it alone, but knew his mother had to tell him eventually. Sarah cooked breakfast again and ate in silence with Liam. She knew Tim would be back later tonight, he was just predictable like that. She didn't owe him money, he was just making an excuse to torment her like he had always done even when they were married. She had made the wrong choice in marrying Tim, and now she was paying the price for the aftermath of it all. She was a prisoner in her own house, and she knew it wasn't going to stop.

If only, if only she could just run away with Liam, run away far where Tim and the world couldn't ever find them.

The rest of the day was spent cleaning the house and getting ready to unpack. Sarah changed into a maroon dress and Liam successfully cooked lunch and Sarah took over dinner. By the end of the night though, a storm had picked up outside and the lights of the house began to flicker. Sarah lit a fire in the fireplace, hearing the heavy raindrops fall outside as lighting splintered through the darkness.

"Where the hell did this storm come from?" Liam said looking out the window "Weather report said nothing about it."

"This reminds me of the night I met your father" Sarah said quietly.

"Some meeting" Liam said with a small smile. His mother never talking about his father, but when she did, it was usually something that was good rather than bad.

Suddenly a banging on the door alerted both of them and Liam stood guard against the living room entrance.

"SARAH!" Tim said screaming "OPEN THIS GOD DAMN DOOR!"

Liam went for the door but Sarah grabbed him quickly, going up the stairs "Don't answer just come upstairs" she hissed as she dragged her son up the stairs.

"SARAH!" Tim screamed, his bangs getting louder on the door. Liam felt his heart pumping in his head, remembering all the times Tim had come home drunk, his desperate wails to come inside after his mother had locked him out almost identical to the ones that were being screamed now.

"Mom let me-" Liam said but Sarah shushed him and hid in her old bedroom, her mind praying that Tim would just go away after a little while, the booze making him belligerent and physical if he got close to someone.

"This isn't right!" Liam said as Sarah closed the door, her forehead pressed against the cold wood as she prayed for Tim to go away.

"He can't just do this to us again!" Liam said "This isn't his house or his home!"

"Don't you think I know that?" Sarah said "I just...I wish..."

No. She couldn't say it. Not after last time.

"What mom?" Liam said hearing the door downstairs start to bust.

Sarah heard the door bust open, knew Tim was coming in in his drunken stupor. She needed to think about the pros and cons of what she was about to do. She had promised herself long ago that she would never go back, but now this life was holding nothing for her. She could take Liam with her, he was part Fae after all even if he didn't know it. She could do it, but that would mean facing him after all these years...

"SARAH!" Tim screamed from down the stairs.

"I wish..." Sarah whispered.

"Mom he's coming up!" Liam yelled.

"I wish" she said again louder.

"I KNOW YOU ARE IN THERE!" Tim yelled.

"Mom!" Liam screamed.

"I wish we could go to the Labyrinth!" Sarah yelled loud for all to hear.

Suddenly the mirror glowed and the air around them seemed to whip and whirl like a tornado. Sarah turned with a smile, glad that the Labyrinth had heard her wish as the mirror opened up like a portal.

"What the-" Liam began but Sarah grabbed his hand and dragged him towards the mirror.

She knew it was just a simple step in and they would be gone forever. Tim's hands began banging on the door, calling out to her like the future she knew she didn't have, calling her away from the past.

"Mom where are we going!?" Liam yelled as the portal whipped around them, the magic cascading over their bodies like a furious wind.

Sarah looked at the portal and then back at her son.

"We are going home" she said with a smile.

And then, with one great leap, she dragged her and Liam through the portal.

And into the Labyrinth once more.


	7. Chapter 7

Return

Sarah heard the whoosh around her, but had closed her eyes instinctively. When the whirring of the wind had passed though, she could hear the absolute silence surround her until Liam had opened his own eyes and simply said "Where are we?"

She smiled to herself. She had crossed the line, she was away from her own world and back into the Underground. Slowly, she opened her eyes, the light adjustment quick since she had dreamed of coming back for so long. She stood on the hill she had first stood on the day that Jareth had taken Toby away from her, only now the ground beneath her was covered in wheat and grass rather than dirt and rocks like it had been. The tree above her stood with blooming leaves, a sign that her last visit had gone well and the Labyrinth was at least thriving.

And there down below the hill, stood the Labyrinth in all it's glory. The maze itself almost seemed to glow at her presence, the wind nearly wanting to push her and Liam towards the entrance.

"Mom?' Liam said in amazement. The scene before him was too much, his mind just trying to cope with the fact they had just jumped through a mirror and were now standing in a totally different world than the one he had always lived in.

"Don't be afraid" Sarah said looking to her son "We are safe here."

"But where is here?" Liam said looking up at the sky that almost was a different hue of blue than he was used to.

"This place is a called the Underground" Sarah said "And it's somewhere I've been many times."

"Then why haven't you ever told me about this place?" Liam said confused.

"Would you have really believed me?" his mother said with a soft smile "Plus, I didn't want to come back, not for a long time."

"Why?" Liam said in amazement.

"Let's not talk about it right now" Sarah said "Just enjoy the moment."

Liam looked at his mother, who had seemed to transform over night. Not only did she seem years younger, but her soul had seemed to brighten up before him. It made him happy and confused all at the same time, but who was he to take what obviously made her happy away from her?

He looked though to the gigantic maze that surrounded what seemed to be a city with a tall spiraling castle in the center.

"Mom, what is that?" Liam asked.

"The Labyrinth" Sarah said "It's what brought us here."

"The Labyrinth?" Liam said in disbelief "But I thought that was just a story."

"Well it was when you were a child" Sarah said staring to walk towards it "I had to let you know about it in some way. It used to be your favorite story."

"So it's all true then?" Liam said walking after her "The goblins? The fireies? The old wise man? Ludo? Even Sir Didymus?"

"All true" Sarah said with a smile "Maybe you'll even get to meet some of them."

"This is crazy" Liam said shaking his head "I must be dreaming. Tim must have gotten in the room and knocked me out cold."

"That's what I thought when I first came here" Sarah said "But it's real Liam. Don't you feel it?"

He did. Liam had felt it the moment he had stepped in through the portal with his mother. His skin felt like it had ignited with something, a sweet tingling that wouldn't stop no matter how hard he tried to calm it down. He felt like he...belonged somehow.

They walked steadily on till they reached the gates of the Labyrinth. Liam watched his mother approach it without hesitation as her hands went to her hips as she looked at the door impatiently.

"Well go on" she said like she was speaking to a child "Open up!"

The doors creaked open at her command, almost like a family member opening up their arms wide for a hug. Sarah looked back at Liam, who stood in awe at the spectacle before him.

"Honey if you keep standing there with your mouth open the fairies are going to come and lay eggs in there" Sarah said with a laugh.

Liam snapped his mouth shut as he looked at his mother in surprise.

"Fairies?" he said.

"There is a lot here that you don't know about" Sarah said "Just keep close and follow me. I know the Labyrinth will guide me, but I'm not too sure about you."

Liam came close to his mother, watching the doors close slowly behind him.

"I don't understand" he said following his mother down the maze path "How come people don't know about this place?"

"Places like this have been forgotten about for years and years" Sarah said "The world has forgotten about the magic that created it, and now it lies here in the Underground."

"So this is where Uncle Toby was kidnapped?" Liam said looking around. The walls seemed to shimmer and glow as Sarah passed them, like warm water had rushed over the stone to reveal the true beauty underneath it.

"Yes, and this was where I rescued him" Sarah said remembering that time vividly.

"But you came back" Liam said still looking around "You said the Labyrinth got sick when you left."

"It did" Sarah said touching the stone, a vine of flowers popping through the cracks and blooming before her "It needed me to care for it, so I stayed here for a little while and the Labyrinth and I almost became one."

"So that means" Liam said quietly as Sarah moved on "That there really is a Goblin King."

"Yes" Sarah said as her head slightly turned to him, her eyes not wanting him to see the pain that dwelled beneath them.

"You think he's here?" Liam said trying to take all of this in.

"I don't know" Sarah said shaking her head "All I know is that I'm glad to be back."

Liam followed her mother for a while, the silence between them comforting as Liam watching the Labyrinth move and breath before him, the walls twisting and turning to guide him and his mother to wherever they needed to be. It was strange, but after a while Liam began getting used to the way the Labyrinth worked, it's magic guiding him as well whenever he felt like he had lost his mother, it always turned so that he ended up by her side.

"It likes you" Sarah said smiling when he walked up to her.

"I can sort of tell, but I haven't seen anyone around. I thought you said their were creatures that lived in the Labyrinth?" he said coming down some steps towards her.

"There are, we just haven't seen them yet" Sarah said as her heart pained at how much Liam looked like Jareth as he walked around the maze like he owned it.

"Do you think we will see some goblins?" Liam said with a smile. He could remember that was the one part of the story he always got excited about. Goblins seemed fun to be around and he imagined as a child running around with them and getting into all kinds of mischief.

"Oh I'm sure we will at some point" Sarah said "they like to run around when Jareth is busy doing something."

"So that's his name?" Liam said "Jareth the Goblin King?"

Sarah seemed to grow still at the sound of his name out loud.

"Yes" Sarah said "That's his name."

"You act different when you mention him" Liam said "Did he do something to you?"

Sarah gave her son a soft smile "He did nothing and everything to me. Let's keep moving."

The Labyrinth kept twisting and turning until a very familiar voice shouted out her name.

"SAYWRAH!" she heard a voice bellow out her name. Sarah turned and smiled wide as she turned around and around.

"Ludo?!" Sarah said as she heard the ground beneath her tremble at his approach.

Liam watched as a hulking figure turned around a corner of the maze, it's furry body nearly fitting through the sides as it's kind eyes fell on the two.

"Saywrah!" it said as it's ears perked up like a dog happy to see it's owner "Been gone! Been gone long time!"

"Oh come here Ludo!" Sarah said running towards him. The creature bounded towards her and buried his body against Liam's mother, watching it make what he guessed were happy noises.

Sarah broke away from her dear friend and looked over to Liam "This is Ludo, the one I told you about in the story remember? He called to the rocks."

"Oh" Liam said with a smile "Hi Ludo."

"Who that?" Ludo said sniffing at him.

"That's my son Ludo" Sarah said "That's my baby."

"Baby?" Ludo said looking at Liam confused for a moment "Big. Big baby."

"Hey!" Liam said but Sarah just laughed.

"Well you are a big baby too!" Sarah said tickling the creature "Now where is Sir Didymus and Hoggle?"

Ludo grumbled and pointed in a direction that they followed steadily. Liam could tell Ludo was a creature of few words as his mother simply followed the lumbering creature until they came upon a garden maze that seemed to stretch out forever and a day. It was beautiful, even to Liam, as flowers bloomed at the presence of his mother, their colors so vivid and bright it amazed Liam that they were even real.

Soon though they heard a small voice calling out along the flowered hedges.

"Sir Ludo! Thou forgotten our engagement nearly a hour ago! Where has thou been?" a small fox like creature said as he came up to the party on a shaggy dog. Suddenly the creature looked at who was behind Ludo and a small gasp escaped it's mouth "My Lady! Could it be! After all these years you have returned to us?"

"Hello Sir Didymus" Sarah said "It's good to see you."

"And I you my lady" Sir Didymus said " But why has thou returned? Surely the Labyrinth cannot be in danger again? Although surely it's power has dimmed since you last left us. And who is this strapping boy I see behind you?! Let him come over so that I may inspect him!"

Sarah laughed as Liam moved forward towards the fox thing that stood a few feet below him.

"Sir Didymus this is my son, Liam" Sarah said introducing the two.

"Hmmm" the creature said looking him over "He resembles the king too much for my favor. Let us go on then my lady, Lord Hoggle will be anxious to see you!"

Sarah and the group followed as Liam came up beside his mother confused as all get out "What does he mean I look like the king?" he said in a whisper as Sir Didymus carried on.

"You just look like him is all" Sarah said avoiding the real answer "He's a valiant sort of thing, just be polite towards him and you won't have any trouble."

Liam took the answer with a grain of salt as they continued to go through the Labyrinth. There Liam passed by the old wise man with the bird hat, who nearly squawked at Liam before they moved on. Finally they came upon a large courtyard that for some reason was empty except for a lone fountain in the middle. The sun was beginning to set as well, the night sky opening up to reveal sparkling stars that seemed almost too bright for Liam.

"I think the Labyrinth has a surprise for us" Sarah said quietly. Soon the stone and ground beneath them started to shift, the rocks and stone forming a figure in front of them as each mineral was put in a place of purpose until finally the Labyrinth had constructed a tiny cottage of stone and glass.

"I guess this is where we are going to stay" Sarah said turning to Liam.

"A fine house for the Lady me thinks" Sir Didymus said as he turned to the group "I will return to my own home with Sir Ludo, and come morning we will return to visit with you once again."

"Sounds good" Sarah said "Goodnight Sir Didymus."

"Goodnight my lady" the fox said "Come Ludo! Leave our lady be for the night!"

Ludo grumbled his goodbyes and disappeared with Sir Didymus before Liam finally turned to his mother with an expecting look.

"Why don't you go to bed honey?" Sarah said "I'm sure we will see more tomorrow."

"Alright" Liam said "What are you going to do?"

"I'll just stay out here for a bit" Sarah said "It's been a long time since I've been back. I'd like to just have a moment to myself."

"Alright" Liam said unsure of everything at the moment "You promise this isn't a dream?"

"I promise" Sarah said smiling at him "We are going to have a new life here, just you see."

Liam nodded and disappeared into the cottage, exhausted from the trip and the walk through the Labyrinth.

Sarah sat by the side of the fountain, her thoughts swimming around like the crystal clear water that flowed beside her. It was then she noticed it, a silver glass ball sitting next to her, it's presence a reminder of who's kingdom she was really in.

She felt his presence, even though she couldn't see him and simply took the glass ball in her hands, the past swimming up into her just like water.

"I knew you had something to do with this" she said out loud.

A figure dropped down from the stone wall and came towards her, it's hood covering the face but Sarah knowing who it was just from the air that shimmered around him.

Slowly, the figure lifted the hood, and the one person Sarah was afraid to see stood before her in all his glory.

"Jareth" she said softly.


	8. Chapter 8

Moonless

"Sarah" he said looking at her with those intense eyes, the eyes she had been dreaming about and trying to forget for years now.

"I should have known you had something to do with all of this" Sarah said walking away, the crystal ball still firmly in her hand "I should have known it all along. The sudden change in my face, the storm, everything" she said turning to him "How dare you. How dare you come after all these years and invade on my life!"

"Sarah" Jareth the Gobling King said as he slowly approached her "I merely gave you what you deserve. Time was given back to you, is this how you are going to repay me?"

"Repay you!?" Sarah said as she clenched the ball in her hand "After what you did to me! After just leaving me out of the blue after you got what you wanted!"

"Do you not remember that night?" Jareth said as the memories came "You were going to leave anyway. I merely gave you what you wanted."

Sarah did remember that night. She had saved the Labyrinth, and after all that was done, she had decided to leave for her own world. But not before she said goodbye to the Goblin King, that moonless night where she had crept in the dark into his chambers...

"Sarah" Jareth said sweeping behind her, his breath warm against her face as he held the crystal ball up to her eyes"Remember that night."

_Sarah looked into the ball and saw herself coming up the dark stairs, her thoughts returning to that night many years ago..._

* * *

"Jareth?" Sarah called out in the dark, the glow from a single candle lighting the bed chamber as a lone figure stood against the wall of the balcony. He was dressed in that wonderful white shirt he always wore, with his black pants and boots crossed in his powerful stance. He didn't answer her, but merely kept his back as she approached him, her body shaking at the thought that this would be the final time she would see the Goblin King.

"So you've made your decision?" he said as she came up behind him, the skirts of her pale dress skidding across the stone floor.

"I have to go" Sarah said quietly "You know this isn't where I belong."

"It could be" he said slightly turning to her "If you would only allow yourself."

"I have a family" Sarah said "I'm going to start college soon. I have a life outside of this wonderful place."

"It could be all yours" Jareth said "If you only asked."

"I know" Sarah said blushing, knowing what Jareth was asking her "But I can't."

"Very well" Jareth said, his voice defeated and longing for what he really wanted. He wanted his Sarah to stay, her presence these last few months the greatest thing that had ever come into his life. He had fallen in love with this maddening female when she was just a girl, and now that she was a young woman, he had fallen in a deeper love than he could ever imagine. And now she was leaving him, and the thought was killing him inside.

"I'll miss you" Sarah said quietly, her body creeping up to him without her realizing it.

"And I you" Jareth admitted, knowing it was useless now to hold up any walls against her.

Sarah realized then that she didn't want to leave this mysterious, arrogant man that stood before her. He had beguiled her and entranced her and challenged her every thought, but in the end she still found that he had a deep kindness about him, a boyishness that was hidden behind feigned confidence and a power for control. He had realized this time around that she was his equal in every way, and had treated her such for the last few weeks.

She had undoubtedly, and utterly, with complete surprise and with her soul fully trying to protest, had fallen in love with this dark creature.

Slowly she reached out, her hand finding his body as her arms wrapped around him tight, her heart screaming out what it wanted as her mind tried to tell her this was the worst thing it could do. But she didn't care, tonight was the last night and the final, and she would do what she pleased only to let the Goblin King know how much she wanted to stay if only he truly asked her.

Jareth felt the warm arms wrap around his chest, and for a moment he let himself breath easy, letting her warmth wash over him. He had longed for her touch for so long, and it was bittersweet that now she allowed herself to touch him the night she was going to leave. His hand left the side of the wall and placed itself over the clasp of her hands, wanting to keep them there if only for a moment. Sarah pressed her body against his back, loving the magical earthy smell that escaped him, her body involuntarily shuddering as it finally relaxed.

Jareth could not stand it any longer as he turned in her grasp, his hands finding Sarah's face as it stroked it with every inch of love he had wanted to give. Sarah did not let go of him, although her eyes were surprised at his movement, but instead she found herself moving her hands up along his chest, feeling the hard muscles underneath constrict and relax at her touch.

She looked up into those mismatched eyes, the eyes she had grown to love despite everything that had happened between them, and found herself no longer scared of them. As soul gazed into soul Sarah looked into his heart and saw nothing but love, a deep love she could never find again even if she searched the earth for a thousand years.

"Jareth" Sarah whispered.

Jareth saw the look in Sarah's eyes, and felt his body loosing control moment by moment. The instant his name left her lips, he knew he was doomed as he could not stop himself now. Suddenly he turned her around, pressing her against the wall of the balcony and found his lips against hers, his fingers wrapping in her hair as a lovely moan escaped her lips, accepting all that he had to give.

He pulled away suddenly, knowing he shouldn't be doing this, not to her, not like this. Sarah watched the guilt wash over him as he looked away from her, knowing what was going through his mind.

Sarah simply looked at him, her hand lifting his face towards hers and kissed him back, knowing finally what she wanted for all these years. Jareth took her kiss and felt even more love wash over him, his arms wrapping tightly around Sarah as he lifted her up and took her into the bed chamber. He set her down gently on the bed, but his hands frantically removed her dress as her own tore at his shirt, their want of each other blinding them both to anything else other than one another.

Jareth scooped Sarah up in his arms, her legs parting for him like he had always dreamed, and in one quick motion they were one. Sarah cried out and clung to his back, the wonderful sensation and fullness of him filling her up to the brim. Jareth moaned out as he rocked into her, slowly at first, but his sense of control was lost as he dove deeper and deeper inside of her. She was his, all of his, and she would know it by the end of the night.

Sarah felt her body at the tipping point, her moans crying out Jareth's name as he came along with her, the wonderful blissfulness overtaking them both as Jareth collapsed on top of her, his arms wrapping around her tight as Sarah held him with such tenderness it surprised him even then.

Sarah had dozed off after a while but Jareth stayed awake, thinking about what had just happened, ashamed and knowing that he still had to for fill his promise to Sarah. He had promised that when she requested to leave, he would do as she asked, no matter what happened. He looked over at her beautiful figure laying peacefully in his bed and felt his heart break at what he was about to do.

Slowly he rolled over and kissed her gently on the cheek.

"I will always wait for you, and I will always be yours" he whispered "Goodbye my love."

And with that, he waved his hand over her and she disappeared once more from his life.

* * *

Sarah stood as still as water watching the memories vanish before her in the crystal ball. She felt Jareth standing so close behind her, his warmth radiating off of his body to the point where she simply wanted to lean back and feel him again once more. But the heartbreak had begun all over again, her remembering how she had woken up the next day in her bed alone. It was a horrible, empty feeling, something she wished to never experience again.

"You see my love" Jareth said softly "I had to do it. You had requested to leave, and I needed to for fill what I had promised."

Sarah burst from his arms and walked with her back to him, the hot tears pouring from her eyes now.

"You know that I have to keep the promises I make" Jareth said "And I-"

"And I loved you!" Sarah said turning to him with hot tears down her face. Jareth stood stunned at the words he had always wanted to hear, his eyes growing wide.

"Yes, I love you!" Sarah said "When I woke up that next morning, the first thing that came to my mind was how I was going to tell you I was going to stay! But you know what I woke up to? Nothing! I was back in my own room! You put me back Above without even saying-"

"I loved you" Jareth said as he quickly crossed to her, wrapping his arms tight around her "And I'm sorry I left you. But I will never regret that night. Do you hear me Sarah?" he said as she tried to push away from him "I loved you, and I can't forget that night, I won't."

"_I loved you" _Sarah whispered as she gave up, her head falling against his chest "And you broke my heart."

"I know" Jareth said as his hand caressed her head, letting her cry in his arms, ashamed at how much he had hurt his only love "But everything will be better now."

"No" Sarah said looking up at him, her arms pushing him away "There is no now Jareth. I moved on, I have a son to take care of. I can't just go off and play queen for you when I have responsibilities."

Jareth had almost forgotten about the young boy he had seen in the window all those years ago "Did the boy and his father come with you?"

Sarah's heart skipped a beat, realizing that Jareth had no clue Liam was actually his son.

"No" Sarah said "Just my son. And his father and I divorced."

Jareth felt hope creep into his chest suddenly, but shut it down realizing a child was involved.

"Where is the boy now?" Jareth said looking away from Sarah, his body not wanting to accept the fact that Sarah had laid with another and produced a child that was not his.

"Inside" Sarah said "The Labyrinth seemed to accept him."

"If he has your blood running through his veins it will" Jareth said as his tone grew dark.

"Will you let us stay?" Sarah said "If only for a little while."

"You need not ask" Jareth said as his head turned slightly "You know you are always welcome here, you...and your son."

"Thank you" Sarah said "Goodnight my king."

"Goodnight" Jareth said as he softly said to himself "My queen..."


	9. Chapter 9

Test Flight

Liam awoke the next day the sun pouring in from the glass windows that the Labyrinth had constructed on the cottage. The soft stray bed was enough for him, having been sleeping on an air mattress for the last couple of weeks. He could hear his mother faintly snoring in the next room and quickly got up and dressed for the day. He probably would need new clothes at some point, but for now he just wore the same blue shirt and jeans from yesterday while slipping on his boots that he always wore no matter what. As he walked out of his bedroom he realized that the cottage was fairly small, with only a table and a small kitchenette available, but it was still more comfortable than the home he had shared with his mother and Tim.

He didn't feel hungry for some reason, and since he really didn't know anything about the food here he just decided to go outside to let his mother sleep in peace without his racket filling up the kitchen like it always did. Stepping outside, he felt the cool breeze wash over him, a strange smell hinting in the air. It was familiar and it wasn't all at the same time. He could remember his mother telling him as a child that the Labyrinth wasn't always what it seemed, and to not take anything for granted.

"Well" he said to himself, or maybe the Labyrinth "It can't be that bad to go for a walk now can it?"

He could feel the Labyrinth agree with him, although he heard no sound of a voice to confirm it. It was a strange connection, but Liam knew he had to be open minded about all of this, otherwise he would make his mother miserable seeing how she was so happy here.

Slowly he started out along the corridors of the maze, enjoying the sounds of whatever it was he passed but couldn't see and the blue sky that sported hazy purple clouds. The Labyrinth moved and twisted in which ever path he chose, always leading him away from whatever it was he wasn't suppose to go near. He could faintly feel the voice of the Labyrinth calmly tell him "No" or "That way" but never once did he hear it out loud.

He began thinking about all the creatures his mother had talked about, fairies, goblins, fieries, all sorts of strange beasts that for some reason excited him and scared him all at once.

"I wonder if there are any dragons" Liam said out loud.

"Well there be a nest at the east side of the Labyrinth sir" a tiny voice said in the air.

"Who?" Liam said looking around him.

"Down here sir!" the voice cried as Liam turned to look down on a tiny purple worm that stared up at him with big eyes. It crawled up on a out of place stone as Liam almost slapped himself to make sure he was still awake.

"Oh..uh...sorry. I didn't see you there" Liam said, not too sure on how to speak to a talking worm.

"It's quite alright" the worm said with a nod "If you be lookin for dragons they'll be on the east side of the Labyrinth, but don't expect too much. I hear their hatching time is over now."

"You mean there are really dragons in this place?" Liam said crouching down next to the worm.

"Oh sure!" the worm said delighted "All kinds around here. Dragons, goblins, lichens, dwarfs, chimeras, all sorts."

"And you said the east side of the Labyrinth right?" Liam said getting excited.

"Quite right" the worm said "Although be sure not to go past the wall, you won't like what you find past the wall."

"What's past the wall?" Liam said too curious to not ask.

"That be the Dark Forest" the worm said, his little body quivering for a moment "Lots of baddies in there sir, no good for you sir, no good."

"Alright" Liam said "I'll be sure not to go that way then. Thanks for helping."

"You are very welcome" the worm said with what Liam guessed was a smile "Maybe you could come by later and meet the parents?"

"I'll try to" Liam said "Thanks again!"

"Be careful sir!" the worm cried out as Liam started going through the maze "Dragon mothers are very testy with their eggs! Goodbye sir!"

Liam walked for a bit towards east, or what he was guessing was east. The Labyrinth took his through paths and entrances that he knew were leading him closer to the edge.

"Just let me get a look and I'll be done" Liam said quietly as a wall moved in front of him, leading him down a longer path "I'll be home before lunch time."

But the sun was beginning to set, and Liam was growing worried that he might not see the dragons after all.

He finally found himself at the edge, and the distinct sound of roars were heard from a little ways down. Slowly he followed the sounds, seeing bits of walls scattered around as huge rocks blocked the pathway. Liam carefully climbed over the rocks when he noticed the a huge creature sitting there among a, as far as Liam could guess, nest.

Smoke bellowed out from the red dragon's nostrils, it's ruby scales glittering in the morning son as it looked down at the gem like eggs before it. Liam kept himself low to the rocks, his head barely peaking up over the edge as he watched the mother dragon look over each of her five eggs. Suddenly, the gem eggs that glowed like blood began to wiggle around, the mother dragon watching closely as the sound of cracking could be heard loudly in the air.

Liam watched as a nose suddenly popped out from the dragon egg, along with the head and neck, until the whole body of the baby dragon burst from the eggshell. To Liam, although it was a baby, the dragon was still the size of a horse, with a wingspan that was nearly twice it's length. It had shapely spikes and horns that scaled along it's nose all the way up to it's head and back. A large scale though stood out at the edge of it's nose, making it look some what like a rhino to Liam. Soon, three more eggs hatched until the mother dragon had four babies crawling along beside her. She chuffed at them and nuzzled until finally she stretched out her enormous beautiful wings and began flapping them in the air. The baby dragons followed suit and the family took off in the air, sailing along the clouds.

Liam climbed carefully over the rocks and over to the nest, watching the family of dragons sailing off into the sky. But one egg from the nest had not hatched, and the mother must have thought it a dud. Liam went over to the egg which had been the only one that had not moved an inch when all the others began to crack.

"Sorry little guy or girl" Liam said as his hand touched the egg "I guess sometimes you just aren't ready for the world, especially this one."

As his palm flattened out against the hard stone of the egg he felt the exterior of the huge gem begin to splinter and crack underneath his hand. Liam quickly pulled back his hand, unsure of what he had just done, when suddenly the egg began moving with a panicked fury.

"What the-" Liam began but a dragon head suddenly cracked open from the egg, it's head stuck around the shell. Liam jumped back as the rest of the egg fell apart around the baby dragon as it tried to shake off the head piece that had surrounded it.

"Whoa! Hold still little guy!" Liam said coming forward as he grabbed hold of the shell, his weight tearing it off the dragon's head with a loud PLOP.

The baby dragon shook it's head for a moment before it's golden round eyes fixated on Liam. Liam found himself frozen, unsure whether this baby dragon would attack him or try and fly off with the others. He realized that the rhino looking scale at the tip of it's nose was busted, like a ax had chopped off the trunk of it and left only a stub.

Suddenly the dragon lowered it's head to Liam's height, it's nose sniffing up at the air towards him.

"Whoa stubby" Liam said holding up his hands "Listen, your momma dragon took off. Why don't you just go on after them and we will call it good okay?"

The dragon looked at Liam confused for a moment and looked up at the sky for any signs of it's mother. Liam watched as the baby dragon expanded it's wings to full length and began flapping them clumsily in the air. It began to take off, getting a couple feet in the air before it lost complete control and toppled back down to the ground, landing in a pile of rocks as it whimpered out like a hurt animal.

Liam instantly ran over to the baby dragon, watching it as it pitifully looked at him and then back at the sky.

"You can't fly without help" Liam said realizing that the momma dragon had guided the rest of the babies into the air. The baby dragon looked at him sadly, it's head dropping down on a rock.

"Hey little guy" Liam said coming over to the dragon "Don't worry. I'll help you up there. Just because you were a late bloomer doesn't mean you can't have all the fun. Come on, perk up stub."

The dragon looked up at him and quickly came over and nuzzled up to Liam, it's warm scales brushing against him like a puppy. Liam laughed and stroked the dragon's spikes, his fingers scratching at the stub on it's nose at the dragon purred out. This beast was just like a dog if Liam ever had one.

"I think I'll call you Stub" Liam said "Since the boot fits and all."

The dragon seemed to agree to that name as it slipped underneath Liam, resting him squarely on it's back so that Liam could easily hang on.

"Well Stub, you ready to do a little test flight?" Liam asked as his heart began pumping.

The dragon nodded, it's tail wagging as it also got excited to take to the skies.

"Alright, wings up, flap hard, and let's go!" Liam said as Stub began flapping it's wings hard, gaining air with every beat of it's wings.

"Faster! There you go, now wait for the breeze! Any moment now" Liam said hanging on for dear life, trying not to sound scared for Stub's sake. The air current picked up, lifting the duo higher in the sky.

"Now flatten out those wings and sail on!" Liam said as Stub did as he was told. The stars were now peaking out above the sky as Liam looked up in awe.

Stub got the hang of moving his wings and sailing along the air as the dove and breached along the clouds, the wind whipping through Liam's blonde hair as he hollered and hooted in blissfulness. The dragon dropped down in the air with Liam holding tight to each bend and twist Stub took, watching as the Labyrinth and the world below sailed past them with no problem.

"I think you got the hang of it boy!" Liam yelled out as he tapped the side of the dragon. Stub growled in approval and shot out a blast full of fire before sailing upwards towards the clouds.

"WOOOO!" Liam yelled holding his hands out like he himself was flying along with Stub.

Stub sailed on past the Labyrinth, the forest trees now below them as Liam tried to guess where they were after some time.

"Let's land boy! I think we got turned around!" Liam said tapping again on the side of Stub's neck. Stub snorted and sailed down below, his wings turning in from the tree tops as they landed loudly down on the forest floor, the cracking of tree limbs heard above them.

"Nice landing" Liam said giving Stub amused look "Let's make a note to work on that next."

Slowly Liam descended from the dragon as he took a good look around the dark forest that surrounded the two. Only the glow of the moon above gave them any hint of light what so ever. And of course Liam had no clue where he was.

"Fat chance of asking someone for directions" Liam said to Stub who simply looked at him confused.

Suddenly Liam heard the most beautiful sound. A sound he himself could not even dream up as it flowed and beckoned him through the trees...


	10. Chapter 10

Deals and Promises

Sarah looked at the darkening sky and felt a dreadful feeling pass over her, worried about Liam since she had woken to his absence and had not heard from him all day. She knew he was a young man, and he didn't need her coddling him at every beck and call, but she was still his mother and old habits died hard. So for the rest of the day she tried to distract herself. She read some books that the Labyrinth had provided, had straightened up the cottage until Ludo and Sir Didymus came with Hoggle. They caught up on everything that had happened in the past twenty years, Sarah learning about the new city the goblins had built and all the new and wonderful creatures that had migrated to the Labyrinth forest.

But still her eyes found themselves on the setting sun, and her anxious heart grew with each passing minute.

"The boy is fine you know" Hoggle said sipping some tea Sarah had made while they sat outside near the beautiful fountain that bubbled softly. Tiny fairies danced and hovered around Sarah, her back feeling their tiny wings flutter as they played and braided her long dark hair.

"I'm sure he is" Sarah said taking a sip of her own tea.

"Right" Hoggle said eyeing her "Then why do you keep looking like you've lost something."

Sarah sighed and shook her head "He's still my son. And I worry about him, especially in this place."

"Well" Hoggle said "He's got your blood runnin through im'. He'll be fine. Especially since he's the king's son."

Sarah turned to her friend in shock, her eyes wide as her mouth hung open.

"How..." Sarah got out.

Hoggle looked up at her from his cup with a mischeivious glint in his eyes.

"You didn't think I would just let you go out of the blue did you?" Hoggle said with a cheeky laugh "I'm old girl, I have my ways around this place like you wouldn't believe. And just because the Goblin King forbid himself to look in on you didn't mean I had to either."

"But how did you know?" Sarah said as her hands began to shake.

"Please" Hoggle said rolling his eyes "It's plain as day that he's Jareth's. Though I don't approve of your choice of men. The boy is a spitting image of him if Jareth were a couple hundred years younger."

"Sir Didymus and Ludo didn't really notice" Sarah said a little relieved that her secret was out at least to someone she knew would understand.

"That diddy couldn't tell a kappa from a kelpie" Hoggle said snorting.

"I've held that in for so long" Sarah said looking away "It feels like a rock has been lifted from my chest."

"Well I can understand why you got so sore after all of it" Hoggle said scratching at the back of his ear "Being with child and all after he gone and left ya without a goodbye or nothin."

"Do you think Jareth will know?" Sarah said looking deep into her tea.

"Yes" Hoggle said "He'll know it the minute he sees the boy. Fae can tell who other Fae are, no matter if human blood runs through their veins or not. And you ain't exactly untouched by magic."

"He can't ever see Liam then" Sarah said shaking her head.

"Why not?" Hoggle said curious.

"Because" Sarah said "It wasn't just my scorn that kept me from telling Jareth about Liam, it was the fact that I knew Jareth would take him away. I didn't want Liam getting caught up in this world only to end up as twisted as Jareth was in the beginning. I wanted him to be on the light's side rather than the dark."

"And you think that if Jareth gets a hold of him now" Hoggle said "Your boy will be just like Jareth?"

"Liam's already like his father" Sarah said with a sad smile "He's headstrong and arrogant, he thinks nothing can hurt him when he's so wrong. But, he's also kind, and tries to right whatever wrong he has ever done. He's got both of our faults and strengths. I'm just scared that if they both find out who each other are, the Fae side will take over, and all the goodness in Liam will vanish."

"I understand where you are comin from love" Hoggle said "But I think you might be seeing the glass half empty on this one. Maybe they both will grow better if they meet. Ya never know till you give it a try. Besides, he's bound to see the boy anyway, it is his kingdom after all. I bet if I just talk to Jareth-"

"No!" Sarah said grabbing Hoggle suddenly "You can't tell him! Not yet at least. If he finds out from anybody but me he'll feel betrayed. Promise me Hoggle, you won't tell him."

"But I just-" Hoggle started.

"Promise!" Sarah said almost sounding desperate. She had kept this secret from the Goblin King for nearly twenty two years, she could keep it a couple days longer.

"Alright alright!" Hoggle said gruffly "Get yer hands off me woman. I'll keep yer promise. But don't be expectin to turn to me when Jareth finds out."

"When Jareth finds out what?" A voice said from behind.

Both Sarah and Hoggle jumped at the appearance of the Goblin King, who sat on the tip of the fountain with an amused stare.

"Jareth you puss bucket!" Hoggle shouted "You almost made me spill my tea!"

"Hoggwart is that any way to talk to your king?" Jareth said with a raised eyebrow, though his smile grew a little wider.

"Piss on your crown you goblin swine" Hoggle said dusting himself off "I've spent too many years with your popping and popping out whenever ye please."

Sarah hid her smile behind her hand and Jareth felt his heart lighten at her restrained laughter.

"I could have you throne in the Bogg of Eternal Stench dwarf" Jareth said descending from the fountain.

"Good" Hoggle said throwing up his arms as he stood up "It beats living in that mess of a thing you call a castle."

Sarah couldn't help it now, her laughter growing as the two duked it out with words. Hoggle finally "Bahhed!" at Jareth, throwing his arms in the air before walking down a path in the Labyrinth.

"I'll be seein you tomorrow Sarah" Hoggle said "Make sure to leave the goblin trash outside. Pinkwit."

Jareth stood beside Sarah with a big grin as Sarah tried to hold in the giggles that were escaping as she watched her friend walk away and disappear behind a corner.

"I can't believe you let him get away with talking to you like that" Sarah said looking up at the Goblin King.

"The dwarf is getting up in age" Jareth said still looking down the path "I think the more he gets older, the more I like keeping him around. He's grown quite outspoken these last few years, sometimes I preferred him a coward."

"But it's no fun always being feared is it?" Sarah said with her own amused smile.

"I like the banter back and forth I'll admit" Jareth said "It's not every day I get called pig swine and bart breath."

"I'll call you that if you want me to" Sarah said standing up, giving him a playful look.

"Any word that came out of your mouth that refereed to me" Jareth said following her "Would be worth more than all the gold in my kingdom."

"You flatterer" Sarah said shaking her head "That charm may have worked when I was twenty, but you remember I'm an old maid now."

"You'll never be old to me" Jareth said watching her walk around the fountain, his feet tailing her like a dog.

"I know" Sarah said waving at her face.

"You misunderstand me" Jareth said "Even before I gifted you I still thought you beautiful."

"Well thank you" Sarah said "My ex-husband didn't think too much of me after some years."

"He is a fool for ever giving you up" Jareth said remembering that swine that had stood in his place in her home.

"Well" Sarah said "He got what he wanted, and I'm much happier now."

"Are you happy Sarah?" Jareth said giving her a serious look "Being back here?"

"Well" Sarah said looking around as the stars began popping out over the sky "This is the one place I really feel at home. I feel like I've been living a lie for so many years, it finally feels good to not have to hide or pretend anymore. So yes, I'm happy."

"Do you think your son will be happy here as well?" Jareth said trying to act fairly.

Sarah got a strange smile then, like she had a secret she wasn't telling Jareth as her eyes looked away from them, her thoughts silent to him as he tried to read her like he was always so good at. He didn't like Sarah keeping secrets from him, he didn't like it one bit.

"Sarah?" Jareth said "What are you not telling me?"

"He used to hear stories of this place when he was little" Sarah said finally looking at Jareth "They were his favorite, always asking about the goblins and the Labyrinth. Sometimes I was scared he would try and seek it out when I wasn't looking. Like one day he would be playing in front of a mirror and the next he would be whisked away here with you. So yes, I think he'll be happy here."

"Maybe we could meet?" Jareth said, thinking the option would make him seem more likable "Maybe I could give him a tour and show the boy around-"

"No." Sarah said quickly "No I don't think that would be such a good idea. He...uh... doesn't take to well to father figure types. He practically hates his step-father."

"Step father?" Jareth said as his eyebrows creased "I thought he was the boys true blood father?"

Sarah quickly turned away from Jareth as her teeth quickly bit into her lip, her mind frantically thinking of a excuse. Damnit, if Hoggle didn't let it slip she surely would.

"He liked to call Tim that" Sarah said quickly "He didn't like people thinking he was his real dad."

"I see" Jareth said still feeling suspicious of how Sarah was acting "Well, then perhaps I could just give you a tour. There are new additions to the Labyrinth I would like you to see."

"Alright" Sarah said giving him a sweet smile "I think that would be nice. Although I feel like you are just trying to butter me up."

"Could you maybe ignore that feeling" Jareth said giving her a coy smile "And just accept what I'm offering for once?"

"Okay" Sarah said "But no funny business. This better not be another attempt at getting me to become your queen. That didn't work out so well last time."

"On my honor" Jareth said holding his hand to his heart "I vow that now queen making shall take place on my part. Deal?" he said holding out the hand that had been placed over his chest.

"Deal" Sarah said shaking his hand.


	11. Chapter 11

Love at First Sight

Liam followed the sound through the dark forest, his ears now recognizing that it was someone singing. The melody floated and drew him in, so much that he began ignoring the whimpers coming from Stub as the baby dragon paced around the opening from where they had landed. Quietly he moved forward, his hands brushing away bushes and brush that refused to leave him be.

But finally he found where the sound was coming from, and his body stopped dead for fear that his presence would make the song stop. There, standing in a small pond of water, stood a girl singing to herself as she played with the water lilies that danced around the pale white dress she wore, the skirt billowing out around her like a flower.

Her light brown hair waved and ebbed like the water itself as it cascaded around her shoulders and down her back, while her dark blue eyes looked down away from him, her voice that reduced to a humming preoccupying her mind as she twirled the lily pads around her fingers. If Liam had ever believed in love at first sight, it was right now. He felt his body moved towards her as Stub tried to hold him back from going forward, but it was too late.

He wanted to speak to her, wanted to hear her voice and see if it was as lovely as he dreamed it would be. He wanted to hear her laugh and listen to her thoughts, for if his mind had ever created the girl of his dreams, she stood before him now.

Slowly he crept up, his footsteps silent against the hill of the grass that dipped down towards the pond. A lone fallen tree worked as a make shift bridge farther on down the pond, and Liam almost thought to take it to easily cross over to the girl. But his feet moved before his mind took action, and soon he found himself knee deep in the cool water.

Ashling hummed to herself as she played with the lilies, thinking that maybe after she was done she could quietly sneak back into the stone castle without Morrigan noticing. The sorceress had been very preoccupied when she returned from wherever she had gone so that Ashling could slip by her unnoticed to go take a dip in her favorite pond.

But suddenly, she heard the splashing of water and turned quickly only to see a boy no older than her standing there in the pond with her, his eyes wide at her presence as if she were some magical creature that he had only heard about. Ashling felt embarrassed and surprised all at the same time, but her gaze matched his as she took in everything that he was before her. His short, wild blonde hair stuck out handsomely around his face as his mismatched eyes reminded her of spring time when the trees couldn't decide what colors to be for the new year. He was trimmed but muscular, his stance tall and narrow like a tree itself.

Ashling was bewildered and amazed by him all at once as she moved forward without thinking. Quickly she stopped, and thought about what she was doing, what _he_ was doing. Morrigan's spies could catch them at any moment, and then he mysterious stranger would disappear within minutes...

"Uh...hi" he said, his eyes unsure of how to approach her "I'm sorry I sneaked up on you, I just heard you singing and I uh.."

Ashling shook herself out of her trance and quickly crossed over to him in a panic.

"What are you doing here!" she hissed "Are you crazy?! This is the Dark Forest!"

Suddenly she heard the dreaded flapping of wings as one of Morrigan crows began flying towards the two, it's three eyes scanning the ground for any news to send back to it's mistress.

"Hurry!" Ashling whispered frantically, her hand grabbing Liam's as she drug him farther into the water, her feet kicking frantically underneath as she pulled him farther and farther towards the log bridge that crossed from one side to the other.

"Hey wait!" Liam said too loudly "I can't move as fast-"

"Just keep quiet!" Ashling said as she panicked pulling him under the log bridge.

"Listen whatever it is I can take it" Liam said but didn't finish his thought as Ashling dunked them both underwater, his mouth and nose filling up with pond water as Ashling's hands kept him firmly down.

Ashling held him under for a few seconds, her own body going underneath as she desperately held her breath until the beating of wings was silent in the air. She released him and they both sprang up from the water gasping for air.

"What the hell was that?!" Liam said brushing the water from his hair as his mouth spit out water.

"Shhh!" Ashling said quietly as she pushed her finger against his lips "Do you want that thing to come back? If Morrigan found out you were here she'd have one of her monsters kill you in a heartbeat!"

"And how would you know that?" Liam said following her as he lowered his voice.

"Because I've lived in these woods my whole life" Ashling said with a smile as she shook her head, her drenched locks falling around her face. Liam thought her lovely just then, her beauty really coming out as she looked carefully up at the sky with those sea blue eyes.

"I think it's gone now" she said looking back to him "Look wherever you came from you have got to go back. The Dark Forest is dangerous and if you don't know your way you could get lost or worse eaten by something nasty."

"I'll only leave" Liam said with a smile "_If_ you tell me your name."

Ashling blushed, having never been spoken to like this "Why should my name matter to you?"

"Just so I can give credit where credit is due" Liam said shrugging "After all, I think if you hadn't pulled me under that thing would have alerted whoever and I would be in more trouble than I planned on."

Ashling smiled as she moved from under the log, her arms floating along the water as Liam followed "That whoever is Morrigan, the Phantom Queen. And she's nobody to mess with I can tell you that."

"So how come she doesn't mess with you?" Liam said liking the way the girl swam so gracefully in the water.

"Because I'm her ward that's why" Ashling said ducking her head in the water as she disappeared before Liam.

Liam watched as her white figure flowed underneath him until it reached the edge of the pond, her body popping out like a swan as she pulled herself up on a nearby rock.

"Come on" she said ringing out her hair "I'd better lead you back to wherever you came in from."

"Well I didn't really come in from anywhere" Liam said getting out as well "Unless you want to count from the sky. My dragon is probably having a spaz attack right now."

"Dragon?" Ashling said as her eyes grew wide.

"Yea" Liam said shrugging "He's just a baby, but he's still pretty big."

Ashling only knew of one dragon and that was the horrible black one that Ashling was still afraid to get near after all these years.

"Well" Ashling said a little hesitant "I guess I could still take you back. Just keep your dragon close to you."

"Alright" Liam said as he watched her move in front of him. He followed her closely, loving the way she moved with such poise and confidence. She knew where every rock and branch was, her hand moving at the right times, her feet never missing a step as Liam trodded behind her.

"So you said you've lived here your whole life?" Liam said following her up a steep hill he didn't even realize he had taken.

"Yes" Ashling said "My whole entire life."

"And you've never seen anywhere else?" Liam said "You know there's a Labyrinth near here. That's where I'm staying at the moment."

"You live in a Labyrinth?" Ashling said as she looked back at him "You must be very brave."

"Actually my mother lived there for some time" Liam said "And then we lived, well I guess you call it the Above since this is the Underground. And now we are back here."

Ashling stopped dead in her tracks and stared back at him.

"Your from the Above" Ashling said softly.

"Yea?" Liam said "Is that a big deal?"

"Nobody comes down here from the Above" she said shaking her head "The Above is full of humans! Humans who have wars and kill each other and shed blood like it's nothing!"

"Well some humans do, yes" Liam said knowing he couldn't lie to her "But most of us are normal, or at least, what I consider normal. Most things in this world are not normal at all by human standards."

"But where's your weapons?" Ashling said as she continued on walking "Aren't you supposed to be trying to kill me?"

Liam laughed as he followed her "I don't know where you are getting your information from, but humans do not want to kill everything they see. I know I don't at least."

"Morrigan always told me that humans were wicked and evil" Ashling said quietly "Along with a lot of other things. She never told me they could come to our world."

"Well" Liam said "That part for my story is a little complicated, but if you want I could come back and tell it to you sometime. Or maybe you could just come with me? You don't seem to happy here from what I can tell."

Ashling felt the light in her heart drop, remembering that no, she couldn't go with this wonderful human that stood in front of her. He who seemed so kind and gentle compared to everything she had ever been told about his kind.

"Hey?" Liam said watching the light in Ashling's eyes dim "Are you alright? I'm sorry if I offended you, I have a habit of running my mouth and-"

"It's alright" Ashling said "It's just...I can't leave. Believe me, I've tried. But I have sort of a...well... a spell on me."

"What sort of spell?" Liam said thinking that this sounded like something out of a fairy tale.

"I can't leave the forest" Ashling said mimicking his shrug "I've tried so many times but it's like an invisible wall is holding me back, or even the wall itself, which I think is part of your Labyrinth."

"Is there any way to break it?" Liam said truly concerned for this girl that stood before him.

"Well" Ashling said with a amused smile "I was told that the only way for me to get out of the forest is with the help of a prince. And you can imagine that not one of those comes trumping through here every day."

"No" Liam said looking around "I don't imagine so."

"And you wouldn't happen to be a prince, would you?" Ashling said smiling at him.

"No" Liam smiled back "Far from it."

"So you see, I can't leave" Ashling said.

Suddenly a dark figure came crashing down from the trees, and Ashling's scream could be heard as it echoed through the forest walls.

_"Some first date"_ Liam thought as the creature came hurdling down toward them, ready for a fight..


	12. Chapter 12

Always

"Whoa boy!" Liam said as the dragon came flying down at him, his snarls and hisses directed right at Ashling "Easy now! She's a friend Stub! A friend!" The dragon stopped as Liam grabbed him by the nose scales and tackled him down, his wings flopping comically to the side as Liam tried to catch his breath. He quickly looked up and saw Ashling had disappeared, quickly cursing the dragon as he let go and looked around fast.

"Uh...miss?" Liam said "It's okay! He just didn't know who you were that's all! Miss?"

Liam hated himself for calling her miss, but damn it, he didn't know her name yet. Suddenly, a few leaves rustled above him and he quickly looked up to see the girl in a high tree, her hair dangling down as she stared at the duo uncertain about whether to come down or not.

"Sorry" Liam said waving at her "He's just protective is all" he nudged the baby dragon as it looked over at him innocently "Go apologize" he hissed.

The baby dragon chirped at Liam before floating up towards Ashling, his head poking in the tree as he sniffed around her dress and through her hair. Ashling remained perfectly still until the approving puff from the dragon's nose blew in her face, her giggle betraying her as her fear disappeared. Stub seemed to rejoice in her laughter and quickly chirped and nudged at her until he moved her arms around his neck, lowering her gently to the ground next to Liam.

"See" Liam said "He's just a big softy under all those scales."

"He's amazing" Ashling said "He's a lot better than that horrible dragon Morrigan keeps locked away. She used to scare me into behaving by threatening to feed me to him when I was little."

Liam looked at her with understanding, knowing how being threatened with the worst thing imaginable felt like as a child. Ashling proceeded to get nuzzled more by Stub, who had deemed her his new favorite thing. Liam thought about what Ashling had said, how she couldn't leave without the help of a prince. But maybe, just maybe...

"Listen" Liam said gently nudging Stub away from Ashling "There has to be another way to get you out of here. I may not be a prince, I'm probably more riff raff than you would hope for a would be rescuer, but I can figure out something. I know some people who have dealt with magic and probably know more about this place than I do. But I promise you, I will get you out of here. And I never, ever break a promise."

"It almost seems impossible" Ashling said shaking her head "Plus, how will you find me even if you do find a way?"

"I'll always find you" Liam said as he gently took her hand "Always."

Ashling felt a flying feeling sail through her chest as her cheeks grew hot with blush as Liam stared down at her.

"Although" he said smiling "It would help if I knew your name."

Ashling smiled and looked at him with sparkling eyes "It's Ashling, my name is Ashling."

"Ashling?" Liam said sounding it out in his mind "Forgive me if I call you Ash for short every now and then."

"It's alright" Ashling said "I've never had a nickname before. But what's yours, just in case I decide to find you?"

"Liam" he said "Liam Williams if anybody asks."

"Liam" Ashling said nodding "I hope I see you again."

"Oh don't worry" Liam said getting on his dragon "You will. Meet me by the pond tomorrow. Stub will know the way."

"Tomorrow?" Ashling said feeling the rush surround her, hoping that what he said was true "Alright! Tomorrow."

"I'll be waiting" Liam said "Let's go Stub!"

Ashling watched as the dragon gave a loud chirp before taking off into the sky, the adventurous holler from Liam echoing through the woods and into the sky. Quickly Ashling climbed up the nearest tree, her hands and feet moving quickly as she ascended through the tree line just in time to watch Liam sail off into the horizon of stars.

Softly, she leaned her head against the trunk of the tree. She knew that no matter how much he promised, she wasn't going to see him again. Too many times she had seen her hopes crushed before her, and now this was the greatest hope of all. It was only a matter of time before it vanished before her. But still, she couldn't help the feeling that this boy, this wonderful, amazing boy, could somehow help her.

"Riff raff..." Ashling said to herself "Well I don't buy that. If only he'd look closer... because I didn't see that,he's a prince... at least he was to me..."


	13. Chapter 13

Scales

Liam flew higher and higher into the sky with Stub, the dark pool of sky above him as the stars shimmered like a sea of diamonds. It was the first time in his life he felt light as a feather, head over his heels, grand slam home run out of the park. This must be what love really felt like because he felt as if his skin were going to burst into a million little pieces and then fall back together all at once. How could it be that he could fall in love with this girl so easily? Liam had girlfriends in the past, had seen the ups and downs of relationships, especially with his own mother, but never, not once had he ever felt like this about anyone. It was wonderful and scary all at the same time.

"Higher Stub!" Liam said "Let's go until we reach the moon!"

The baby dragon bellowed out in happiness as he climbed higher and higher into the sky, the dragon's own fire gem heart beating in joy and rapture over how Liam was feeling. Liam whooped and hollered out, his hands flying into the air as if he was on a roller-coaster.

He would see Ashling tomorrow, and even if it took a thousand years, it would be worth the wait to see her hair shining in the sun, her eyes sparkling as her smile looked his way.

Just thinking about her made him sigh out like a love sick teenager. It was incredible and surprising, that he, Liam Williams, who had thought that he was made out of stone and too quick to be caught up in love, had somehow fallen into it without hesitation or regret.

Stub flew as high as the baby dragon could, it's wing's flapping and soaring up in the air until it stopped mid-air, gliding with the current as Liam looked up into the vast sea of stars, thinking only of Ashling.

_"Only a prince"_ he remembered her saying.

Well he wasn't a prince, that was for sure, but he would do anything in the world to get her out of those woods. Even though she didn't say it, he could see a song bird trapped in a cage, her wings fluttering every once in a while to see if maybe, just maybe, the cage bars would break if she fluttered around enough.

"I guess it's only right to break her out" he said to Stub "Don't you think?"

Stub blew out a plume of fire and dove down in the air, cascading below the clouds and winding around the air like the aerodynamic creature he was. Liam hung on to the along Stub's back, his eyes squinting at the blowing air but a manic smile plastered on his face. He knew he could do it, he could go the distance. He would find a way, he would just have to be strong. It would all be worth it to have her in his arms.

Stub soared down below the Labyrinth, the incredible maze thrown out before him as Liam looked at all the different paths he could take, the different parts that held secrets he was yet to uncover. And finally he spotted his cottage in the middle of the Labyrinth, the bubbling fountain sparkling in the moonlight as his guide. He directed Stub toward the target as the baby dragon evasively twirled down through the air until it landed gracefully on the stone courtyard that housed the fountain.

"Nice job boy" Liam said getting off and patting the dragon on the side "Much better than last time."

Liam had no clue what time it was, but he knew he had been gone for a long time, the darkness setting in the sky as Liam walked towards the cottage. His mother would probably be worried about him, so before he checked in to his own room he made a point to peek into hers just to see if she was up late, worrying about him in bed like she used to when he was a teenager. But thankfully his mother was sleeping peacefully, her head tucked into the covers as her long dark hair cascaded around her face.

Liam went to his own room, his body resting easy against the bed as he saw Stub move across his window, placing himself right below it so that he could peek in to see Liam every now and then.

"Boy" Liam thought "If Mom was going to be mad that I brought a dog home, just think of a dragon."

But he knew his mother would understand eventually, although he wasn't too sure he should tell her about Ashling just yet. What if his mother advised against him going to go see her? He knew in his heart he wouldn't be able to stay away, so why conflict himself?

Sighing loudly as his chest heaved up and down, Liam relaxed himself enough to doze off for some much needed rest.

In the morning he would go to see Ashling again.

And this time, he wouldn't leave without her.

* * *

Sarah awoke the next morning and suddenly remembered that Liam had not come home before she had decided to go to bed. Quickly she got up, her feet moving fast as her hands threw open her door and opened his without hesitation. Liam quickly shot up from bed, his eyes half asleep as he looked at her confused for a moment before slumping back down into bed. Sarah quickly sighed with relief and crossed her arms over her chest.

"And where were you last night?" Sarah said coming over to the side of the bed. Liam groaned something about it being too early but Sarah ignored him, the mother in her coming out like lightning.

"Hey" she said nudging him "I asked you a question Liam Tobias Williams. Now answer me."

"I was out" Liam said getting up, his hand rubbing against his face in irritation "I decided to take a look around and ran into a friend."

"What kind of friend?" Sarah said as her heart leaped a bit.

"Just look out the window and see for yourself" Liam said hitting the bed again, his dramatic display something he had done since he was a child. Sarah rolled her eyes at him but went to the window anyway.

At first nothing appeared to her until suddenly a dragon's head popped up from under the window, it's golden eyes staring at Sarah with a child-like quality. Sarah jumped back at first before hesitantly coming over and opening the window. Stub smushed his head in, his chirping and growls waking Liam up with a now happy smile.

"See" Liam said gesturing with his hand "I told you. A friend."

"Liam, this" Sarah said shooing the dragon away as it tried to smell her robe "Is a _big_ friend. I don't know if the Goblin King will even allow a dragon in his Labyrinth."

"Well this one's mom hatched her eggs along the edge of it" Liam said pulling on pants "I'm pretty sure he doesn't mind it too much."

Sarah looked down at the dragon who was innocently eyeballing her with a weird timidness about it. Dragons were supposed to be fierce and proud, and this one just seemed like a puppy more than a fire breathing lizard.

"You said his mom hatched her eggs?" Sarah said holding out her hand to Stub.

"Yep, and Stub here was the late bloomer. His mom had taken off with the others before he was even out of his shell" he said "I took him and taught him how to fly. Now he's sort of my buddy."

Sarah held her hand out a few inches from the dragon's nose before Stub playfully bumped her palm and squawked at her. Sarah giggled and Liam watched with a happy smile as his mother examined the baby dragon further.

"Alright" she finally said giving the dragon a scratch under the chin "He can stay outside the cottage. I'll have to talk to the king about it, but if dragon's are hatching in the Labyrinth, I'm sure he won't mind this one."

"Thanks Mom" Liam said going around her and giving her a kiss on the cheek "I knew you would understand."

Liam started heading for the door as Sarah followed him quickly.

"Where do you think you are going?" Sarah said crossing her arms as Liam nearly ran out the door and hopped on the baby dragon like a medieval cowboy.

"I got something to do" Liam said shaking his fingers through his wild blonde hair "I'll be home later okay? Don't wait up!"

"Be careful!" Sarah shouted as the dragon took off into the air, flying high into the clouds before disappearing into the sky. She sighed but felt a bit relieved. If Jareth decided to stop by and saw Liam, he would know right away the secret she had been keeping for all these years.

Maybe it wasn't such a bad thing that Liam was going off.

Sarah cleaned up by hopping into the nice stone bath tub that the Labyrinth had built for her and decided to soak for a little while before going out on her tour with the Goblin King.

"By all the saints" Sarah whispered to herself "Give me strength against that man."


	14. Chapter 14

Fool

Liam saw the edge of the Labyrinth wall that touched the boundaries of the Dark Forest below as he sailed high in the sky above. Quickly he tugged at Snub's side and the descended down quickly, landing as smooth as butter along the stone steps of the Goblin King's maze. Liam hopped off the dragon and began looking around the wall for any signs of weakness or a gate of some sort.

"There has to be some way out" Liam said as his hands felt along the stone walls "There always is. No matter where you are there's always a way in or out, just in case things get hectic and you need a quick escape plan. Even spells have loopholes I bet" he said to Snub who just blinked at him and turned his head in curiosity.

Liam shook his head with a smile "I know it sounds crazy, but my mom would tell me stories of this place when I was a kid. She would always remind me never to take anything for granted. So even if someone says that there is no way to get out, then there must be a way to get in, and therefore it becomes a way out."

He walked along the edge of the wall, thinking about the moment he would find what he was looking for and how Ashling would react when she could finally step out of the darkness and into the light. It must have been hard for her, all those years living with monsters, never knowing what else was out there in the world.

"Psshh" Liam sounded "Who am I to talk? This place is all new to me too." Snub chirped and moved past Liam fast, his clawed feet crunching against the ground as he moved towards an opening in the side of the Labyrinth. Liam moved down the edge of the wall, watching as the stones beneath his feet started to sprout weeds and grass, until the maze was no longer a maze, but a clear opening of a field. Bright green grass and golden wheat blew in the wind as Liam looked around steadily. It was almost like Central Park in New York City. He could see the stone walls of the maze a little ways away, their steady columns continuing the maze where it left off, while this peaceful serene scene stood untouched by the Labyrinth.

"Wow" Liam said looking around. Stub chirped louder as Liam turned towards him quickly. Stub stood by the remaining wall that acted as a border between the wheat field and the Dark Forest.

"What are you squawking about?" Liam said coming towards Stub. Stub chirped and hopped up and down on the ground, his intentions clear that there was something important he needed to see. Liam walked towards the wall and only saw the sienna stone staring back at him with old vines and leaves scaling over the wall from the forest and down in front of the wall itself.

"Okay" Liam said looking at the dragon "What am I looking at here?"

Stub almost seemed frustrated that he could not communicate with words as he nudged at the wall with impatience.

"Okay okay!" Liam said pushing him aside "Let me take a look."

Liam was thinking the dragon had gone insane since all there really was in front of him was a vine covered wall, but as his hands began moving the vines and leaves out of the way, he found his arms going deeper and deeper into the vines, never once touching stone. He was now almost chest deep into the vines, and for a moment he felt a thrill run through his veins. With more energy he began pushing and pulling through the vines, his heart racing as his hands grasped out until fresh air hit his fingertips and his body flew forward through the vines until he toppled down on the Dark Forest's floor.

Hurriedly he got up and brushed the dirt off of his shirt as he looked around with a shit eating grin.

"I knew it" he said to himself as he turned back towards the group of vines that hung steadily against the wall. Just to test out his theory, his hands reached out and moved through the vines once more, only to enter back into the wheat field with Stub staring at him with glee.

"I think" Liam said turning back to the wall "We just found our way out."

* * *

Sarah walked back and forth outside of the cottage, the jade dress that the wardrobe had provided skitting across her feet as she fiddled with the piece of ribbon that tied around her waist. Why oh why had she agreed to go on a tour with Jareth? Of all the silly things to do, her knowing that she could barely contain herself around him, and the horrible hurricane of emotions that surrounded them both.

She still felt something for him, but at the same time the heartbreak and betrayal followed with any notion of kindness or care that she had towards him. It was all very, very confusing.

In yet, she was still here, pacing outside of the cottage like she was sixteen all over again, fretting about what to do and what her decision should entail. But soon, she felt Jareth's ever familiar presence in the air and quickly turned around to see him standing by the fountain with a smug smile on his face. Instantly, all that fleeting emotion she had for him turned into stubborn annoyance.

"Shall we get started?" Sarah said moving towards the king.

"As you wish my lady" Jareth said offering her his arm.

Sarah looked at him hesitantly before they began moving through the maze of the Labyrinth, their footsteps echoing against the stones as they moved and weaved through the place they both knew best. Sarah couldn't help but noticing how light and graceful Jareth was moving around, not the dark brooding king she was so used to.

"What are you so chipper about?" Sarah said finally.

"It's not every day I get to see a beautiful girl in front of me" Jareth said with a cocky smile. Sarah rolled her eyes at him and continued to walk beside him.

"I'm not a girl anymore Jareth" Sarah said as her own smile started to find her lips "Flattery doesn't make me blush as easily anymore."

"Well then" Jareth said stopping and coming inches from her "I'll just have to try harder now won't I?"

"You said no queen making" Sarah said as her brow narrowed at him.

"And I queen you shall not be" Jareth said feeling his heart hurt a little "But it still doesn't mean I can't flirt."

"I'm an old maid my king" Sarah said moving away from him "No matter what you've done to my face."

"You say that" Jareth said coming up behind her "But I still see that fire and spirit you had when you were just a girl, entering the Labyrinth for the first time, bound and determined to get her brother back."

"I was so mad at you" Sarah said shaking her head as a smile escaped "I promised myself that no matter what, I would never let you get the upper hand of me."

"Sometimes I still feel like I don't" Jareth said as he came to her side, both of them taking a turn into the Labyrinth gardens.

"You did" Sarah said quietly "But only once."

"And that is the one time I truly regret it" Jareth said with all seriousness, knowing how badly he had betrayed the only one he trusted "But you still came back when I called."

"Yes" Sarah said looking around at her Labyrinth "But it wasn't all just for the Labyrinth, it was also for Hoggle, and Ludo, and Sir Didymus. They needed my help as well. And..." Sarah said now facing Jareth "And well...you needed it too."

Jareth saw the softness in her eyes when she looked at him, the same softness he had once wanted so bad not even death itself could stop Jareth from wanting to possess it. Gently he touched the side of Sarah's face, knowing he couldn't hide anymore from her.

"I should have never let you go" Jareth said quietly.

"But you did" Sarah said moving away from him.

"Will you ever forgive me?" Jareth said watching her walk away.

"I have forgiven you Jareth" Sarah said shaking her head "I just haven't forgiven myself."

"For what?" the Goblin King said confused.

"For actually believing we would live happily ever after" Sarah said brushing a small tear that escaped her eye "I mean, this is the Underground. Fairy tales and happy endings aren't going to happen. But for a moment, just for a moment, while I fell asleep in your arms, I felt...free. For the first time in a long time. And I swore I could remain like that" she said turning to him "And then the next thing I knew, I was back in my bedroom."

"If I had known..." Jareth said trying to figure out a way to put his words.

"I know" Sarah said shaking her head "If you had heard those words come out of my mouth, you would have stole me away without a second thought. But you kept your word, you were trying so hard to not be the villain in all this, and still I made you out to be one. So it's me that has to ask for forgiveness, not you."

"You will always have my forgiveness" Jareth said shaking his head "As long as I will always have yours."

"Jareth" Sarah said softly "There's too much between us for me to hold a grudge against you. At first, with the whole Toby thing and then you sending all those horrible things at me, I could have ripped you a new one. But now, well...I'm older. And things like that don't seem as bad to me as what the real world can do to me."

Jareth couldn't find the words to comfort the only one he had ever truly loved as she walked away from him once more. Frustrated he followed her in silence, his brooding returning with a vengeance on how to make things right with Sarah, only to find that they had passed through the gardens and had come upon a great pond that had been formed recently.

"Oh wow!" Sarah said moving towards the crystal clear water. Tiny mounds of land stuck out from the water, just wide enough to be able to jump across the water on to the next mound. Sarah immediately kicked off her shoes and leaped on to the first mound, the wind brushing against her skirts as she looked around with a smile.

"This is beautiful Jareth!" Sarah said "When did this happen?"

"I guess the Labyrinth had been working on a little pond for some time" Jareth said as he moved along the pond shore "After all, she's made of stone and tunnels and magic. Sometimes I think she wants to spice things up."

"Well consider me impressed" Sarah said jumping to the next mound. Jareth sat and watched her move around the mounds, her skirts flying up in the air each time she jumped. Her eyes were bright and excited as her wonderful dark hair moved freely around her face. He wished it had always been like this, him and her, how simply they spoke to one another like old friends instead of the usual riddles and snark that followed them around like a bad smell.

But then again, he did like her snark, even if it angered him.

Sarah took another leap to another mound when suddenly her footing gave out and she felt her foot slip beneath her. She cried out before splashing down into the water, her hands grasping up as she flailed about.

"Sarah!" Jareth yelled as he jumped up and plunged into the water.

Sarah could feel Jareth's arms around her as he batted her skirts away from her and lifted her up to the crisp air that filled her lungs.

"Sarah!" Jareth said violently as he held her "Are you alright!?"

Sarah gave a few good coughs before a gurgled laugh escaped her.

"I'm fine" she said shaking her head "I got caught up in my dress."

"I can see that" he said guiding her through the water and back up on the shore.

Sarah tried to stand but felt the enormous weight of her dress pull her down every time she attempted to stand.

Jareth saw the problem and with a wave of his hand Sarah's skirt's disappeared and she was left in a simply under dress that was revealing enough to make Sarah's skin flush when Jareth stood still to look at her.

"Eye's front soldier" Sarah said covering herself.

Jareth smiled and looked away for a moment before sneaking another peak at Sarah's wonderful figure underneath the dress.

"Jareth!" Sarah said batting at him "I said look away!"

Jareth sighed and shook off the dampness from his clothes as Sarah moved out of the water and sat on the bank of the pond, her hair pulled back from her face as it curled from the water.

Suddenly, Jareth heard a faint laughing escaping from Sarah and quickly turned to her to only and see her giggling with energy. Jareth couldn't help but feel a smile escape his lips as he sat down beside Sarah, the both of them laughing like fools.

Because in the end they were just fools,not knowing what this was between them, or where it would lead. But Jareth was happy to play the part of a fool for her.


End file.
